Anambra Poll: Catholic priest condemns INEC over irregularities

Gabriel Osu also blamed the irregularities on corruption.

A spokesperson of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, Gabriel Osu, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission for the controversies that trailed the November 16 governorship election in Anambra.

Mr. Osu, the Director of Communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, also blamed the shortcomings in the election on corruption.

INEC declared the election inconclusive and has said a supplementary election will hold on November 30.

The election was characterised by widespread voter disenfranchisement with several voters unable to vote as their names were missing on the voters register. There was also late arrival of electoral officials and materials in many polling units across the state.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, Mr. Osu, a Monsignor, noted that bad management of electoral bodies and lack of patriotism of politicians and the electorate were responsible for the irregularities in the polls.

He said that it would be difficult to conduct free and credible elections without eliminating those problems.

“We have just lived to our billing and the views of other people about us, that we cannot manage ourselves. I don’t know what it takes to conduct elections that has become so difficult for us.

“We have the manpower; we have the capacity; we have voters but bad human management in the name of INEC, in the government, in the name of authority; that is what has played out,” the cleric said.

“So we have lived to our billing that we cannot manage ourselves. I’m not a pessimist but we can’t; the rules are there but they don’t follow it with impunity, godfathers, authority that be.”

“So there is no magic wand; it’s the same story; we have enough guidelines but since we don’t believe in ourselves we believe in impunity that is what happens,” he added.

Some of the candidates and parties involved in the Anambra poll have threatened to boycott the supplementary election.