A youth activist and member, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Jolly Emmanuel has suggested the staggering of national elections for free and fair polls.

Emmanuel told The Tide  in Port Harcourt that the electoral umpire could conduct credible polls if held in few states at a time.

Speaking on the conduct of the Ondo governorship election on October 20, and the previous Edo polls, he said Nigeria should reduce the number of states holding elections per day.

According to him, the best the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can do for Nigerians now is to re-schedule the election timetable to reflect zoning.

He commended INEC for a job well done, adding that it was time to change the general elections timetable for closer supervision and monitoring.

The activist said that INEC had with the elections in Edo, Adamawa and Ondo proved that it could do better with singular state’s supervision rather than plural states’.

“I am saying that we need to stop simultaneous general elections to achieve credibility.

“Elections should be conducted state by state, region by region, on different days and different periods, for them to be free and fair,’’ he said.

Emmanuel, who adjudged the Ondo elections as one of the most credible polls in the history of the nation, said INEC should adopt similar procedure in subsequent elections.

“We have realised the reason behind the seeming failure of INEC to deliver credible elections.

“It is no longer secret that conducting elections at the same time in 36 states is too big for INEC to handle.

“To overcome this cumbersome task, and to deliver free and fair elections, let INEC take it one after the other,” he said.

Emmanuel said the new approach might be slightly more expensive if adopted, but noted that the benefits far outweighed the cost.

“It is the only guarantee for a widely accepted election results in the country,” he said.

He said it was necessary to attain the international standard of electoral practices and stifle conflicts that could arise from fraudulent polls.

“Don’t you see how everybody, even the opposition, accepted Gov. Mimiko’s victory. The chances of litigations and drab electoral disputes have almost been eliminated.

“It was a clear indication that the election was not doctored, neither was INEC partial in its conduct,’’ he said.

The activist, however, advised INEC to continue with the credibility in delivering free and fair elections devoid of rancour and violence.

He said the amendment of the general election timetable “is key to sustaining Nigeria’s democracy through credible elections and the National Assembly should play a key role here.”