Election Day: We can’t afford to fail – Jega

Punch

 2 April 2011

Election Day: We can’t afford to fail – Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said the April 2011 elections, which begin today (Saturday) provide Nigerians another opportunity to get it right.

Jega said Nigeria and Nigerians could not afford to fail because the success of the polls was vital to the future of the country.

The INEC boss said this in a pre-election address to the nation on Friday.

He said the commission, on its part, had worked tirelessly to put infrastructure, people and procedures in place to make sure it prepared adequately in terms of logistics, the training of staff and effective liaison with security agencies to provide security before during and after the elections.

He said, “We are very confident that the security agencies are sufficiently mobilised to ensure that there is security cover for INEC personnel and materials and for those who will come out to exercise their rights to vote.”