The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON; has called on Nigerians to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the necessary support to enable it conduct free, fair and credible elections come 2027.
He made the call on Thursday when the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan; visited him at his Abuja residence.
The Monarch said the electoral umpire could hardly succeed without the support and prayers of Nigerians, noting that in the short period he had been in office the INEC Chairman had carried on with a lot of confidence as one who came prepared and one with whom Nigerians were comfortable that he would deliver to the satisfaction of all.
His Royal Majesty said he closely monitored all that transpired in Prof Amupitan’s journey to the INEC hot seat because he believed that he was eminently qualified to occupy the position, expressing delight that ultimately the appointment was made, followed by his screening and confirmation by the Senate.
Asagba Prof Azinge went on to say, “The future beckons and history awaits. Certainly, for many of us; your friends, your admirers; our wish is that your tenure will go down in the history of Nigeria as the best as far as this position is concerned.
“I join the ambassadors in saying that indeed your post is the hottest, there’s no doubt about it. The Anambra State election has proven to be a test case for you, and we’ve also monitored and it does appear that up till date there seems not to be any election petition, I may be wrong, but we’ve not heard of any. But in all, it appears that everything went seamlessly well. That was your first baptism and I believe it went well.
“The rest is for us to make projections for the future, and I want to urge you to do your best as you have always done in your life career. You became a professor at a relatively young age and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria almost at the same time. You are a very strong Christian, that I know. I have also mingled with you to know that you are a strong believer, and I have no doubt that all these out together will help you to chart your path as you make progress in your job”.
Nna Agu said as a firm supporter and someone prepared to ensure the success of the electoral umpire, he would help to lead advocacy for increased participation in the Continuous Voter Registration in his kingdom, with a view to ensuring that all eligible voters would end up voting at the appropriate time.
Earlier, the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan; said the visit afforded him the rare privilege to meet the highly revered traditional ruler in Abuja, though he would still someday be visiting Asaba to pay him respect and homage.
Prof Amupitan congratulated the people of Asaba for choosing one of Nigeria’s best in the legal profession to be their King, pointing out that the Monarch had mentored many legal luminaries and Senior Advocates of Nigeria, including himself.
The INEC Chairman noted that as Director General, Asagba Prof Azinge raised the standard of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies beyond where he met it, stressing that his successors had been struggling to maintain the standard he set in the Institute.
He drew the attention of His Royal Majesty to the ongoing constitutional Continuous Voter Registration and urged him to help champion the exercise in his kingdom, so that all eligible voters there could register to exercise their franchise in the 2027 general election.
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