The outgoing chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has called for constant vigilance and commitment to sustain the gains from the 2015 elections.
Jega made the plea at a dinner reception organised for him by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and some civil societies in Abuja at the weekend.
Jega, who is expected to quit as INEC chairman Tuesday, also said he was returning back to the classroom as a lecturer at the expiration of his tenure.
The INEC chairman also pleaded with the National Assembly to be decisive in driving reforms of the electoral act and the constitution.
“I think that the task of electoral reform has just began, a lot more efforts needs to be done.Certainly, the electoral reform committee ‘s recommendation by Justices Muhammed Uwais panel has a lot of good recommendations which are yet to be taken on board and implemented.
“I think between now and 2019, there is sufficient time for us to be able to ensure that additional reform methods can come in.
“We made a recommendation two years ago, for the amendment to the electoral act and the constitution to improve the legal framework before 2015 general elections.
“Regrettably, it did not materialise up to the time we did the elections, but the existing legal framework is fairly good,” he said.
He called on the National Assembly to continue to support INEC and give it the necessary encouragement required to improve on the good foundation that it has laid.
Jega pledged continuous support to the task ahead for future electoral reforms and improvement in the electoral process in the country.
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