Election free, fair when no life is lost – Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said that the only way the Anambra governorship election can be free and fair is if there are no loss of lives.

The bishop said this on Channels TV saying that the best way to measure the success of the election is if there is no record of casualties of violence leading to injury or death.

He said, “The most important parameter to consider the election a success is that nobody needs to lose their life,”

“Too many Nigerians have died unnecessarily. The most important thing is to make sure that nobody loses their life, nobody suffers any unwanted injury.

Kukah also added that the Independent National Electoral Commission had a huge role to play in ensuring the process ran smooth.

“It is the responsibility of INEC. The commission has a threshold that constitutes all we can consider free, fair and credible elections.

“But for me, over and above the election won’t be free, fair and credible if one person loses his life.”

With the speculation of a low voter turnout for the gubernatorial election, Kukah warned that voter apathy has serious consequences especially in countries like Nigeria.

“Voter apathy is rampant across the world but voter apathy in Africa and Nigeria has consequences,” he said.

“It is not like the United States and other settled democracies where whether you vote or not, things happen to run on fine. Whether you elect the right person or not, it will not affect the level of education and health that they have in their environment.

“But for us in Nigeria and in Africa, election is war, a battle of life and survival. In part because if you vote for the wrong person, you could easily become a small dot in a big circle.

“You vote for the wrong person, you could easily end up with no road in your village, or school or health care facility.”

Kukah insisted that the most important factor to consider in describing an election as free, fair and credible is if there is no fatality.