Sultan advises INEC over right to vote
From MUSTAPHA SAYE, Kaduna.

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been cautioned against disallowing eligible candidates to contest election for the electorate to have choice of voting credible ones among them, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has said.
Speaking at Arewa House, Kaduna during a summit for traditional rulers, organised by the INEC yesterday, the Sultan said that the commission has to ensure that adequate prepations for the successful conduct of election were made.
He stated that the forthcoming general election has to be a successful one so that the intergrity of the nation may not be lost in the eyes of the outside world, adding that adequate security should be given more emphasis during the distribution of voting materials.
Alhaji Abubakar sugested that INEC should be fully independent for the desired goal of a free and fair election to be achieved, urging all the traditional rulers in the country to embark on enlightenment campaign of their subjects with a view to having a successful election.
In his keynote address, the chairman of INEC, Prof. Maurice Iwu said that his commission would not disqualify any candidate who is qualified to contest the election by the law, pointing out that the commission committed to obeying the laws and statutes of the country.
He said that INEC has rectified very critical areas of the nation’s our unhealthy electoral environment whereby issues arising from negetive mindsets, poor voter education and mobilisation are being addressed adequately by the commission
Prof. Iwu stated that the nation’s political environment has been awash with very dangerous rumours, accussing the commission of nurturing a plan to postphone the 2007 general eiections
According to him, without fear of contradiction, there is no no iota of truth in such rumours, pointing out that the date of 14th and 21st of April are sacrosant for the holding of general election in Nigeria, saying that his commission is highly determined to conduct free , fair and credible elections on the fixed dates.
Earlier in his wellcome address, the Resident Electoral Commissiner, Kaduna state, Barrister Aliyu Marafa had said that the traditional institutions which have extensive social and political network of influnce throughout the country, shoulld mobilise to create an environment in which civic virture and patritotic commitment to democratic process are built upon and nurtured.