Nigeria Content Online

The new Resident
Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Hussain Pai, has called on staff
of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to
work assiduously at becoming role models for their counterparts across
the country. Mr Pai said this in Ado Ekiti yesterday while taking over
the office from his predecessor, Isyaku Maigoro, who recently retired
from the Commission.

He said the staff
must see it as their duty to conduct free, fair and credible elections
in 2011. He said he hopes to build on the good legacies left behind by
his predecessor by ensuring that no staff of the commission circumvents
existing rules in the conduct of an election. The commissioner promised
to discharge his duties very effectively and ensure that the elections
were devoid of crisis. He praised Mr Maigoro, who was described by
staff of the commission as highly experienced and unbiased.

Earlier, Mr Maigoro urged commission’s staff to support his
successor and ensure that Nigerians are proud of their conduct of the
elections. He reminded electoral officers in all the 16 local councils
of the state and other top management staff of the commission to allow
the new INEC boss the benefit of their wealth of experience. “The REC
has a serious role to play in the conduct of 2011 , but his role could
only materialise if the Electoral Officers and other staff that are
directly connected to the conduct of elections are responsible and
alive to their responsibilities”, he said.