The Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, has declared that the just concluded April 2011 Presidential Elections, won by President Goodluck Jonathan, was very free and fair because the incumbent President provided a level playing ground for all candidates.

It has been observed that every election, in Nigeria’s political history had either been marred by massive rigging or unprecedented electoral fraud, unlike the just concluded Presidential Elections which was devoid of such manipulations because of its transparency.
Dr. Ayakoroma, who added that the election was also the fairest as rightly acclaimed by international election observers, attributed it to the appointment of Professor Attahiru Jega, a man of sincere personality, as the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by Mr. President.

Stating this in the Congratulatory Letters to President Jonathan and his vice, Arc. Namadi Sambo, titled Congratulations on your Electoral Victory: Nigerians have Spoken, the NICO boss posited: “On behalf of the management of NICO, I wish to heartily congratulate you on your victory at the April 16, 2011, presidential elections which have been acclaimed the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s political history.

“The appointment of Prof. Attahiru Jega, a man of impeccable character as Chairman INEC was widely commended. It reflects your commitment to providing a level playing field for all political aspirants,” adding that, such conduct has confirmed the confidence Nigerians have in the abilities of President Jonathan.

The culture administrator further said that it has also established the fact that the President-elect and the Vice President-elect have the leverage to direct their energies towards revitalising the Nigerian economy, re-addressing the infrastructural challenges, reinvigorating power supply, and re-engineering our core value systems.

NWAGBO NNENYELIKE
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