Sule promises non-interference with LG polls

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa has said that the state government will strive to ensure the conduct of free and credible local government elections in the state.

Sule said this at a workshop organised for members of staff of the Nasarawa State Independent National Electoral Commission (NASIEC) on Thursday in Lafia.

He promised that government would not interfere in the activities of the commission during the poll.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, said that free, fair and credible elections remained the basic principle of democracy and must be upheld in Nasarawa.

He described the workshop as apt, saying that it was in line with his administration’s determination to uphold the tenets of democracy.

“Today’s event affords us the opportunity to build the capacity of our electoral administrators and other staff with the current trend and technical know-how.

“It is in this wise that I considered this workshop timely, as it will serve as knowledge-driven on election management techniques and morale booster for the participants,” Sule said.

He, therefore, urged the participants to make proper use of the knowledge gained to improve the electoral process in the state.

In a remark, the Chairman of the commission, Mr Ayuba Wandai-Usman, said the objective of the workshop was to boost workers’ morale and expose them to current trends in election management techniques in order to introduce electoral best practices.

“As societies develop and people are becoming more enlightened, elections are becoming more keenly contested.

“The need for free, fair and credible election, devoid of rancour and ill-feelings, has become more paramount and NASIEC cannot be left behind in the quest to entrench an electoral process that is based on global best practices,” Wandai-Usman said.

He restated the commission’s preparedness and commitment to the conduct of the local government election in the state.

The chairman commended the governor’s support to the commission for its smooth operation.