By Mike Odiakose
Buhari Media Organisation, BMO, on Monday said President Muhammadu Buhari will go down in history as the reformer of Nigeria’s electoral system.
This, according to the group, is because of the back-to-back successes recorded in off-season gubernatorial elections in the country.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO said that it is no longer a surprise that election observer groups have been issuing favourable post-election reports in recent times.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari set up an electoral reform panel headed by former Senate President Ken Nnamani in 2016, he was emphatic on his readiness to address the defects in the electoral system.
“Now six years on, we have had one general election and several off-season elections which attracted positive reactions from stakeholders.
“But none of the previous ones has generated more positive reviews than the last three elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States.
“We make bold to say that as good as these elections have been, the last one has been an improvement on the previous ones.
“For us, it is an affirmation of the President’s determination to leave a legacy of successful electoral processes after he has suffered from a defective system”, the statement said.
The group added that not only has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) been doing well on the President’s watch, the security agencies have also been getting commendations.
“We have moved from a period where INEC was only independent in name to a situation where the Commission and its officials now respect the will of the people.
“It is no longer normal to have logistics challenges or late arrival of electoral materials at polling units and, of course, the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results are seen as game changers in the process.
“Under President Buhari’s watch, the term ‘federal might’ has been consigned to the dustbin of history even though operatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are used to abuse of powers would always raise alarm whenever things do not go their way.
“But a majority of Nigerians, including civil society organisations (CSOs), know better and this is why they have been hailing security agencies for doing their jobs professionally
“We see this as a testament to the President’s determination to clean up the electoral process with a view to ensuring that elections in the country are not only free but also seen to be credible and fair by all concerned”.
BMO urged Nigerians to continue to trust in the ability of President Buhari to continue to clean up the electoral process in line with his admonition that election should not be seen as a do-or-die affair.
