By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Alhaji Kashim Shettima has given an insight into what makes conduct of election difficult.
Alhaji Kashim Shettima gave the indication in Anambra on Saturday shortly before announcing the winner of Anambra APC governorship primary.
According to him, “an election becomes difficult when the umpire has interest on who win”.
He also revealed that contact with interested parties in the course of election as well as depending on logistics provided by interested party are factors that compromise integrity of an election.
Shettima who was the chairman of the committee that conducted the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary that saw the emergence of Hon. Tony Nwoye as the party’s flag bearer for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra said, “When an umpire has interest on who wins an election that is when the conduct of the election becomes difficult”.
“We deliberately passed through Enugu to Anambra to avoid contact with what would be viewed as actions to suggest that we have been compromised, else we would have passed through Owerri which is an APC State.
“But we passed through Enugu and Governor Ugwuanyi is a PDP Governor who provided us with logistics to show our neutrality, Shetimma said.
He also said, “We deliberately did not use the government facilities- we paid for our hotel bills with our own personal money and paid for our food ourselves. Every cost we incurred, we paid with our own money.
Therefore, the Independent National Electoral Commission should borrow a leaf from the issued raised by Alhaji Kashim Shettima in its quest to add credibility to the conduct of elections in the future.
This further suggests that INEC should not rely or depend on the logistics provided by interested parties such as cars, accommodation, drivers, etc as these may be ways or methods interested parties will explore in trying to break through.
