As the clock ticks closer for the senatorial bye -election scheduled to take place on Saturday 5th December,2020 in lmo North senatorial zone , a group known as National Democratic Mandate Group(NDMG) has called on INEC ,security agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the forthcoming senatorial bye -election in lmo North senatorial zone otherwise called okigwe zone will be free ,fair ,transparent and credible.
In a chat with journalists in owerri the lmo state capital ,the National Chairman of the NDMG Ambassador lsaac Udeh stated that INEC has no excuse to give Nigerians if they fail to conduct what could pass as a free ,fair and credible election . It is very pellucid that Nigerians are tired of the emergence of visionless leaders via the ballot boxes who are allergic to accountability, provision of good governance and sustainability of Democratic institutions.
He thanked INEC for conducting a free,fair and credible election in Edo state which the international observers described as acceptable,free and fair .He commended INEC on her plans to introduce electronic voting system in the forth coming elections in the country.
On the recent re-appointment of Yakubu Mahmmud as INEC National chairman for a record second term, he described it as a good one and advised him not to lower the standard in line with global best practices.
On his advise to okigwe electorate,he cautioned against politics of vote buying which will affect the process negatively.
In a related development ,the state chairman of NDMG, Hon Chikwe Nwachukwu commended the Resident Electoral commissioner in lmo state Prof Ezeonu for his uprightness. He went down the memory lane on the strategies the REC adopted in recent elections in lmo state to ensure that votes of the people count.
While calling on women of okigwe zone to come out enmass and vote for the candidate of their choice ,the Senior special Assistant to the National chairman of NDMG on women mobilisation and special duties Hon Nkiruka Okechukwu harped on the need for women to take the center stage in deciding who represents them at the Red Chambers . She said that gone are the days when it is seen as an abomination for a woman to be in politics.”The Beijing conference of 2004 marks a total liberation for women globally”,She enthused.