Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai and the 34 members of the State House of Assembly on Thursday received certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).

The event was held at the INEC Office along Kinshasha Road Ungwan-Rimi in Kaduna metropolis.

INEC Commissioner in charge of Kaduna, Plateau, Niger and the FCT, Antonia Okoosi-Simbine while congratulating the governor on his re-election at the March 9 poll, urged him to deliver more benefits of democracy to the people of the state.

She also congratulated the people of the state for their peaceful conduct before, during and after the general elections.

“It is also my pleasure at this point to congratulate the entire people of Kaduna State for the peaceful conduct for their peaceful conduct during the elections,” she added.

She, however, admonished disgruntled persons and parties to feel free to seek redress in court where they believed they have genuine cases to pursue.

Okoosi-Simbine added that seeking judicial remedy was not only part and parcel of electoral process in the country, “it is consistent with the culture of democracy as opposed to resorting to self-help.”

She identified lack of internal democracy, desperations on the part of party candidates as some of the reasons responsible for inconclusiveness of elections in 2019.

She said, “Our democracy is deepening incrementally having conducted the sixth successful election without interregnum.

“There is improved integrity in the system as elections are becoming more and more competitive and the margin between winners and runner-ups are decreasing to the extent that in many instances elections into the executive and legislatures are increasingly inconclusive.

“This explained why the phenomenon of inconclusive elections appears to have increased.

“The pathetic crisis of lack of internal democracy in the parties and the desperation of candidates and their supporters driven by the fear of losing all tend to compound the problem.”

In his brief remark, el-Rufai thanked the people of the state for re-electing him for another four years and pledged to ensure the protection of lives and properties of all in the state.

The governor also promised to carry everybody along in his second coming irrespective of political differences.

PUNCH