The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says Nigeria’s 2023 general elections will be the most transparent and credible in Africa.
Speaking at the 2022 Calabar carnival in Cross River on Wednesday, Festus Okoye, INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education, said the commission will organise the best elections in the continent next year’s February.
Okoye said the commission decided to get involved in the carnival to sensitise and encourage Nigerians to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and vote in the elections.
The INEC commissioner said Nigerians need to understand that their PVCs are powerful.
“My message to Nigerians is that only the PVC can change their circumstances,” NAN quoted him as saying.
“Therefore, those who do not have their PVCs have no business in the electoral process.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the PVCs are available for the people and to organise free, fair and credible elections.
“It is also to ensure that those Nigerians say should win the 2023 election won.
“The time had come for us to organise the freest and fairest election on the continent of Africa.”
Okoye said the commission has no political party and owes no allegiance to anyone but the Nigerian people.
He added that the commission would mobilise all the national assets to ensure that the 2023 polls are the best ever.