By PETER ANOSIKE

The Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Peter Umeadi, has given guidelines for a free, fair and credible election in the 2023 general election.

Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) 62nd Annual General Conference with the theme “Democratic Transitions in the 21st Century Nigeria: 2023 and beyond” held on Monday in Lagos, Umeadi said that beginning from the election year of 1999, democratic transitions in Nigeria have moved from good to better.

According to him, the improvements may be further enhanced with the Electoral Act of 2022.

He said that his thinking was that the new Electoral Act 2022 was fashioned in good faith, coupled with the use of BVAS, the integrity of elections in Nigeria is bound to improve considerably.

The former Chief Judge of Anambra State said that BVAS was first introduced in a constituency bye-election in Delta State in 2021 and a month later in the same year, it was used in gubernatorial election in Anambra State to acceptable approbation, verifying PVCs and uploading polling unit results and activities to INEC portals.

He said that these encouraging strides were maintained at the elections in Ekiti and Osun states which followed, adding that suddenly, “we do not record the big numbers of the past elections pointing to fact that the days of compromised elections are being phased out.”

According to him, “the only way we should expect swelling numbers at the polls is for all of us to exercise voter diligence and by coming out and waiting patiently to vote at the elections in 2023.”

“Democracy comes from the Greek word ‘demos’ for People and ‘kratos’ for power, meaning ‘power of the people.’ My often repeated phrase is ‘the bulwark of my presidential bid predicated on popular votes at the polls, from a majority of Nigerians.’

“In driving credible, reliable, resilient and enduring democratic transitions in Nigeria of the 21st century, I respectfully recommend that we respect the ballots. Let us canvas and sustain free and fair elections. Let only valid votes count. We should in the most vocal manner possible enforce the extant laws such that no person who is palpably below the age of 18 years should be allowed to vote.

“Such votes where cast, are invalid votes and should not count in arriving at the result of the election in the particular polling booth across the country.

“Stopping persons below 18 years of age from voting should not pose a problem. It is difficult for a child of 10 years of age to make out he is 18 years no matter how endowed. There could be borderline cases but if politics is generally local so your neighbors should be able to identify the children and whosoever that is bringing them to the polling booths.”

Umeadi said that the Electoral Act 2022 has made provision for such challenges.

He said that where anyone below 18 years come to the polling booths and seek to obtain ballot paper, a candidate and or his agent have the right to challenge the issue of the ballot paper to the one.

“In any circumstances where such ballot papers are issued, the votes casts are invalid votes and should be pursued to its legal and logical conclusion to be vitiated.

“Democratic transitions which are transparent would be the surest way to strengthen our country, Nigeria. We should brace up for the best electoral practices in election year 2023 and beyond. In all modesty, I postulate that the triple banner of the rule of law, separation powers and due process would lead us to security of lives and properties, economic revitalization, prosperity and genuine happiness,” he said