Date: 2018-11-11

The Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent, National Electoral Commission, Malam Garba Madami, has said that the 2019 general elections will be the best elections ever in Nigeria.

He stated that the commission had addressed identified loopholes in previous elections and was poised to deliver transparent, credible, free and fair elections.

He spoke on Saturday, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital during a political sensitisation seminar organised by the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations, Kwara State chapter.

He said, "If you observe the 2015 election and you compare it with the 2011, there was a little improvement. One of the reasons that made 2015 to be a bit credible was because of the card reader that was introduced and the Permanent Voter Card for accreditation. In 2015, the card readers had little problem but we have worked on it and it is better now.

"That is why you see the results of elections are just narrow. There is no more wide margins and the politicians have decided to go into vote buying. We are making efforts to check vote buying. There are lots of credibility issues being introduced now. Even the ballot paper is coded. You cannot carry one ballot paper of one local government to another LG. That gives me confidence that 2019 will be one of the best elections ever conducted in this country."

He said the by-election of November 17 for Oke-Ero/Ekiti/Isin Federal Constituency would be a trial run for the commission in 2019 election in Kwara State. FG won't accommodate vehicle expenditure, others in 2019 budget According to him, the election will be fair, free, transparent and credible.

The election is mainly for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Tunji Olawuyi, and his Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Saheed Alatishe. The candidates emerged through consensus method and the winner will replace the late Funke Adedoyin, who occupied the position before her death on September 28.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State APC Chairman, Mr Bashir Bolarinwa, has said the party will dislodge the current ruling political leadership in the state.

He added that the outcome of the election would give indication of their readiness to unseat the political leadership of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in the state.

Speaking during the inauguration of the committee for the election, he said members of the federal constituency would vote wisely.

He said, "This time around, opportunity should be given to the people of Kwara to choose who their leaders are. We are opposing a situation where a single person will decide our fate.

"One man that has been lording it over other people in Kwara is Dr Bukola Saraki who has decided to put Kwara in his pocket and we want to show the world that Kwarans are wiser now. They are ready to take their destiny in their hands."