The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday deplored what it called attempts by some individuals and political parties to discredit the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the build up to the coming elections.

NHRC Chairman  Chidi Odinkalu, speaking against the backdrop of  the recent call by Chief Edwin Clark-led Southern Nigerian Peoples Assembly for the sack and arrest of  Jega, noted that the legitimacy of the  electoral process requires that every Nigerian  believes and respects the capacity of the commission  to deliver credible elections.

“Let’s stop tarnishing INEC. The political parties, citizens, social media people should stop it. Tarnishing INEC can guarantee electoral violence,” Odinkalu said at the launch of the NHRC’s report and advisory on election violence.

The 80-page report captured incidents of election violence during electoral campaigns.

He added: “There are few Nigerians who will accept INEC Chairmanship and bring the level of integrity he (Jega) has brought to the job.

“He (Jega) is a human being. He is not perfect. But, you know what? He has a wife, he’s got children, he’s got grandchildren, he’s got students who went through him and he is a decent man.

“He is not a thief; he is not a rogue. He wants to do the best work he can and we’ve got to support him. And we don’t support him alone, we should support his team.

The NHRC said about 58 Nigerians have been killed in pre-election violence in 22 states of the federation in the last 60 days.

Twenty-two of the deaths occurred in 11 incidents in Lagos State, followed by Kaduna with nine deaths in three incidents and Gombe with five deaths in three incidents.

There were six incidents in Rivers State, including the detonation of explosives and attacks on courts.

Odinkalu, who decried the increasing violence, said that the majority of young Nigerians, who will decide the outcome of elections lack memories of violence in the nation’s post-independence struggle.

He said Nigeria is capable of conducting violence-free elections and announced plan by the commission to invite President Goodluck Jonathan, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu, and his APC counterpart, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to jointly record a message denouncing violence and urging Nigerians to shun electoral violence.

He said the message would be disseminated through all known platforms of mass communication.