State Electoral Commissions Are Governors’ Rigging Tool – El-Rufai

In a recent address in Maiduguri, the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, condemned state electoral commissions, labeling them as instruments for rigging by state governors. El-Rufai made these remarks during his presentation titled “Capacity Building Workshop on Enhancing Skills of Government Officials In Policy Implementation and Productive Human Resources Management.”

El-Rufai reminisced about the success achieved through electronic voting during local government elections conducted in Kaduna State under his leadership. He recounted an incident where a governor from the Northwest expressed interest in adopting the electronic voting system but ultimately reverted to traditional methods, allegedly resorting to result manipulation.

Expressing his support for the abolition of state electoral commissions, El-Rufai advocated for the exclusive responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in overseeing all local government elections. He emphasized the need for transparency and fairness in the electoral process to enhance credibility and discourage malpractice.

Reflecting on his tenure, El-Rufai addressed the demolition exercises carried out in Kaduna, asserting that due process was meticulously followed to avoid legal challenges. He attributed the absence of court cases related to the demolitions to his government’s adherence to procedural norms.