Our improved democratic process has reduced petitions – Edo REC

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Mike Igini, has attributed the sharp drop in the number of electoral petitions filled at the tribunal after recent elections to the improvement in the nation’s democratic process.

Igini made the observation in Benin on Wednesday at the public presentation of certificates of return to member-elects of ‎the State House of Assembly at the Benin City office of INEC.

According to the Edo State REC, the number of petitions filed at Electoral Petitions Tribunal after the 2007 general elections were 32, but has gradually been reduced to 10 after the 2015 general elections.

“As I have noted, we are making a progressive change in our country. We are maturing from a total of 32 petitions in 2007 in Edo state. By 2011, the number dropped dramatically to 17 petitions. As we speak today, the number has also dropped to about 10 petitions at the moment. ‎It shows that we are making steady progress,” he said, noting that the ills of democracy can only be cured by more democracy.

He however added that whatever ‎progress has been achieved in Nigeria’s democracy could not be ascribed to any individual, not even to INEC as the umpire, but as a result of “our collective resolve to see that we keep this democracy ever young.”

He assured that the electoral body would continue to do its best to keep its promise that “INEC cannot be an institution for manipulating elections for anybody, but a national institution committed to the conduct of free, fair, credible and acceptable elections in order to sustain our democracy.”

While congratulating the newly elected state lawmakers, Igini said it is “our hope and the hope of Nigerian people, particularly Edo State people, that the promises you made yesterday, today, would not be source of disappointment of tomorrow,” he said.

“You are not only representatives, you should ensure that the people have representation in all your actions, in the things you do or even fail to do, in order to keep this democracy ever young.

“After all, democracy is an or‎chestra, it is a human orchestra conducted on the basis of periodic elections and through the rule of law, and the sound must never stop playing. The melody of an orchestra is dependent on the unique sounds that the different parts bring to the entire orchestra. All of us must realise that we have worked so hard to keep this democracy ever young,” he said.

Which urging all aggrieved candidates who lost at the polls to seek a redress at the constituted electoral petitions tribunal, the REC however advised the declared winners to see their defeated opponents “who may wish to interrogate the outcome of the process at the tribunal, those who wish to do this must be seen as partners, must be seen as people who are also interested in improving on the process and should not be seen as enemies.”

Igini also took time to thank congratulate all Nigerians for the successful conduct of the general elections, even against the negative predictions of some international communities who had predicted “about the 2015 elections, that Nigeria may perhaps, go under. I thank all of you that today, we have something to hope for in Nigeria.”