Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Lagos State chapter, Mr George Ashiru, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission needs to do more to earn voters’ trust.

He spoke on Monday while reacting to the conduct and outcome of the off-cycle governorship election in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.

Mr Ashiru said: “We are concerned about reports of several areas where voting was disrupted. This indicates that adequate preparation was not made to ensure that every vote counts. Voter turnout is almost always directly impacted by fear of lack of transparency by INEC and insecurity. INEC needs to do more to earn voters’ trust.”

Speaking on the outcome of the poll in Kogi State, Mr Ashiru said Mr the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Leke Abejide, put up a good fight despite coming fourth in the poll.

“I am glad that Abejide, though a member of the National Assembly, put his hat in the ring to become one of the political forces to reckon with in Kogi,” the ADC boss said.

He advised the governor-elect in Kogi, Usman Ododo, to demonstrate love for the people with all his heart.

Mr Ashiru urged Ododo to follow the constitution thoroughly saying “therein lies the heart of good governance.”

The All Progressives Congress’s Ododo polled 446,237, while his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party got 259,052 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate polled 46,362 votes and Abejide of the ADC got 21,819 votes.

(NAN)