The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, has said that Nigeria has become the benchmark for free, fair and credible elections in Africa.
He said this in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving his counterpart from Republic of Niger, Bonbe Ibrahim, who is seeking the support of INEC ahead of his country’s election.
“I am particularly delighted that INEC, Nigeria is seen as a benchmark of free and fair election in Africa,” Yakubu said.
The INEC chairman, who promised to assist his Nigerien counterpart, underscored the affinity shared by both countries.
He noted that besides sharing boundaries with five states, both countries also share cultural similarities and the security challenge of insurgency.
He said the commission was willing to share its experience with Niger’s electoral body in terms of security for elections, voting for Internally Displaced Persons, logistics and deployment of men and materials for the elections.
In his reaction, the Chairman of the Niger electoral body pleaded that INEC should share its experience in conducting elections with regards to logistics and deployment of electoral materials.
