EDO PDP, RIGHTS GROUP, OTHERS LAUD PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

CITING thoroughness, the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and others yesterday commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the successful conduct of last Saturday's presidential election. .

Besides, the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), in a commendation statement by its chairman, Philip Ugbodaga, likened the election to the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential polls, saying that the result of the election 'shows very clearly that Nigerians have taken charge of the electoral process and their destiny… This election can compare with any election in any part of the world, our confidence in the ballot box has been restored by this INEC.'

The State Chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, yesterday commended the people of the state for voting massively for President Goodluck Jonathan.

'It is a sign of good things to come in our quest to elect leaders that will be accountable to the electorate. I salute the people for their orderly and peaceful conduct during the election,' he said.

Addressing a media briefing yesterday, Executive Director, ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, commended Jonathan for keeping his promise not to interfere in INEC's activities.

He also lauded the electoral body for overcoming some of the challenges recorded during the National Assembly polls with adequate provision to include those who could not find their names in the voters' register. .

However, Ugolor, who said ANEEJ deployed 67 domestic monitors to Edo and Ebonyi states, said there were reported pockets of anomalies during the exercise but were not enough to take the shine off the election.

He said that one of the organisation's observers, Ofor Chukwuma, sent to Ebonyi was abducted by security agencies for refusing to be compromised by one of the major political parties. He urged that cases of 'violence, intimidation, harassment, burning of houses and killing must be investigated.'   He stated that the effort by the President to ensure that the right thing was done by INEC and the commitment by Nigerians had boosted public support for him, adding that these were instrumental to his victory at the polls.  .

He called on INEC to invalidate the results from units where violence was reported.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the president to uphold the wishes of the people by revamping both social and the economic sector of the country for national development.

The national president of the body, Jude Imagwe, yesterday said the massive turnout of voters during the presidential election was a pointer to the fact that Nigeria was on a threshold of economic transformation, just as he commended INEC for a free and fair election.

'A successive democratic transition is what the nation requires to be respected among comity of nations. We pray that this smooth democratic transition will be sustained for other African countries to emulate,' he said.