The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed serious concerns about the escalating political violence in Edo State as the governorship election on September 21 approaches. INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, highlighted these issues during a quarterly meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Monday.
Professor Yakubu emphasized the urgency of addressing the political unrest, particularly noting a recent attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, which resulted in the tragic death of a security officer. To tackle these security concerns, INEC plans to meet with relevant security agencies.
With just 53 days remaining until the election, Professor Yakubu pointed out that many political parties have not yet submitted the list of their polling and collation agents. The deadline for submission is Tuesday, July 30, 2024. So far, only 14 political parties have provided the necessary details for their polling agents.
“As of yesterday, Sunday, 28th July 2024, 14 political parties have uploaded the details of 38,354 polling agents and 819 collation agents for the Edo State governorship election. Three parties are yet to upload a single polling agent while five parties have not uploaded agents for ward, local government, and state collation centres,” said Yakubu. He urged all parties to meet the deadline to ensure proper preparation and distribution of accreditation tags.
The INEC Chairman also called for adherence to the commission’s rules and guidelines to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process. He stressed the need for political parties to conduct their campaigns responsibly, avoiding verbal and physical confrontations.
“The campaign period has often been characterized by acrimony and tension. Sadly, it is also a period of verbal abuse and physical confrontation among parties, candidates, and their supporters. The commission finds the recent event in Edo State, resulting in the death of security personnel worrisome,” he stated. INEC will discuss these issues further with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.
Yakubu assured that INEC is committed to ensuring the safety of all involved, including candidates, agents, supporters, officials, observers, journalists, service providers, and voters.
Regarding election preparations, Yakubu noted that additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines have been provided to Edo State for training election duty personnel and contingency support on election day. The commission has also fixed damages caused by recent flooding at its state headquarters in Benin City.
Additionally, the final list of candidates for the Edo State governorship election has been published, with updates reflecting recent court orders. Yakubu highlighted that the final voter register for the elections in Edo and Ondo states will be published soon, including data on new voters by gender, age, occupation, and disability.
Yusuf Dantalle, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), reiterated the council’s commitment to electoral integrity and called for the abolition of State Independent Electoral Commissions to enhance democracy. He stressed the importance of free, fair, and credible elections in Edo and Ondo, emphasizing their significance in restoring trust in the democratic process.
“The success of this election along with Ondo’s election will go a long way in restoring trust in the democratic process essential for enduring representative governance,” Dantalle concluded.
