Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has called for the entrenchment of free and fair elections in Nigeria.

The Acting President said the right to freely elect leaders should not be only by word of mouth but should be adhered to in practice.

He made the remark on Friday during a visit by a delegation of ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commission led by its chairman, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, at the State House in Abuja.

Professor Osinbajo told the committee that the Federal Government believes in the principle of free elections, a factor he considers quintessential to the stability of any nation.

“We believe in the fundamental principles of free elections and we believe that the only way to ensure stability in the society is to ensure that people have the right to elect their leaderships, but not just a right on paper but a right in practice and the only way by which that right can be manifested in practice is by free and fair elections,” he said.

On his part, Professor Yakubu who is also the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission emphasised the importance of a good voter register which he described as crucial to achieving credible elections.

He also informed the Acting President of the Commission’s decision to permanently locate its secretariat to Nigeria. (Channels TV)