Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has restated the commitment of his administration towards the conduct of free, fair and credible local government elections in the state.
Engineer Sule made this resolve known while flagging off a two-day workshop organized for members of staff of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC), on Thursday, in Lafia.
The Governor assured that his administration will not interfere in the activities of NASIEC during the election.
Engineer Sule, represented at the event by his deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, said that free, fair and credible elections remained the basic principle of democracy and must be upheld in Nasarawa.
The Governor described the workshop as apt, saying that it was in line with his administration’s determination to uphold the tenets of democracy.
“Today’s event affords us the opportunity to build the capacity of our electoral administrators and other staff with the current trend and technical know-how.
“It is in this wise that I considered this workshop timely, as it will serve as knowledge-driven on election management techniques and morale booster for the participants,” Engineer Sule stated.
While noting that free, fair and credible election constitutes the basic principles of democracy, Engineer Sule pointed out that electoral administrators are the drivers who ensure that these tenets are enhanced through election.
The Governor, therefore, urged the participants to make proper use of the knowledge gained to improve the electoral process in the state.
In an opening remark, Chairman of the Commission, Barrister Ayuba Wandai-Usman, said the objective of the workshop was to boost workers’ morale and expose them to current trends in election management techniques in order to introduce electoral best practices.
“As societies develop and people are becoming more enlightened, elections are becoming more keenly contested.
“The need for free, fair and credible election, devoid of rancour and ill-feelings, has become more paramount and NASIEC cannot be left behind in the quest to entrench an electoral process that is based on global best practices,” Barrister Wandai-Usman said.
He restated the commission’s preparedness and commitment to the conduct of the local government election in the state.
The chairman commended the governor’s support to the commission for its smooth operation.