The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC), Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega has described Ghana’s outgoing chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan as a ‘shining example’ for the leadership of Election management bodies in Africa.
The Nigerian EC who has received commendations worldwide for supervising free and fair elections in the West Africa's oil producing country expressed greater appreciation to his colleague EC in Ghana insisting that he was full of support for the INEC of Nigeria during the 2015 elections.
“He is a shining example of leadership for electoral management bodies…I have benefited enormously from his experience and wisdom and from his advice…,” he said on ADOM FM’s DWASO NSEM Wednesday.
These benefits which he derived from the leadership of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, he said, forms part of the reasons for the success of Nigeria’s polls.
“I have nothing but commendation for the leadership of Dr. Afari Gyan…,” he said adding that 'I would forever appreciate the support offered me and Nigeria’s INEC'.
The 2015 elections of West Africa’s biggest economy has been described worldwide as the cleanest elections organized by the country since embarking on the democratic path in 1999.
Former army General, Muhamadu Buhari won the elections in which sitting President, Goodluck Jonathan whose political party has been in charge of the oil producing country since 1999 contested.
Buhari gained 2.7 million more votes than his rival, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and more than 25 percent of votes in 24 states, ruling out a run-off vote.
Nigeria employed several members of the academia including Vice Chancellors and professors as electoral officers. And all this, he said led to the success of the polls.
According to him, Dr. Afari Gyan whom he meets annually at meetings of Electoral Commissions in the Commonwealth countries was among the first persons he met for encouragement when he was appointed by President Jonathan in 2010.
A former staff of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, he said, also acted as a consultant to Nigeria’s INEC during the 2015 elections.
Due to the enormous benefits he derived from various electoral commissions in Africa and Ghana’s EC in particular, Professor Jega called for a greater partnership to be built among Africa’s Election bodies.
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