Nigeria's electoral body denies being under external influence

Nigeria's electoral commission is not under any external influence or pressure in conducting election in the country, an official said Saturday.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mahmood Yakubu told reporters that there was no influence on the commission, dismissing allegations that the commission was operating under the influence of the presidency and political actors.

"I don't think there is anybody that can influence or intimidate me," the electoral chief told reporters.

"I have never been approached by anybody to do anything in any way other than what is appropriate," he said.

"I am not under any external pressure, neither are the members of the Commission," Yakubu said.

According to him, the outcome of the election so far was a proof that the independence of INEC was not compromised and opposition party still won in majority of the recently conducted elections.

He said more than 70 percent of the election conducted by the commission in the recent time was won by opposition parties.

He added that only one out of the 163 elections conducted under his watch has been nullified in the court of the law.

Yakubu reiterated the Commission's call for the setting up of the Electoral Offenses Commission and Tribunal to which every electoral offender and violator would be subjected, including staff of the Commission.

He said until such was done, the efforts of the Commission, giving the limitation and challenges it was faced with, might not be sufficient enough.

The electoral chief told reporters that the commission would in 2017 come up with initiatives to improve on the electoral processes.

source: Xinhua