On Sunday, September 15, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared its commitment to holding an off-cycle governorship election in Edo state on September 21 that is free, fair, and credible.
Sam Olumekun, a national commissioner and the chairman of the commission’s information and voter education committee, told The Nation that the commission is well-focused on the work at hand and will not be sidetracked by any unfounded accusations.
He was answering a question regarding the claim made by Anthony Aziegbemi, the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, that the APC has settled with INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, REC Prof.
Anugbum Onuoha, and INEC Director of ICT at both the state and national levels to support its plans for election rigging. Additionally, he said that a large number of the ad hoc employees hired by the Commission to oversee the poll were APC members who carried party membership cards and were assigned to make sure the party won.
In response to the WhatsApp message, Olumekun stated:
“The commission is focused and committed to delivering free, fair, and credible elections; therefore, the public is advised to disregard wild and baseless allegations, including the postponement of the election.”
“We advise parties, candidates, and the general public to focus on factual information, as the people of EDO State will choose their governor in the upcoming election.
“We also solicit the cooperation of the media to investigate these needless allegations and report facts rather than fiction by interested parties.” The governor’s election campaign is likely to culminate on Thursday, September 19.
In Essence
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) commitment to conducting a free, fair, and credible election in Edo State is crucial, especially given the political tensions and accusations surrounding the process.
Allegations of bias or collusion, such as those made by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo, are common in Nigerian elections and can undermine public trust in the electoral process if not adequately addressed.
Sam Olumekun response dismissing the accusations as baseless and reiterating INEC’s focus on its mandate is important for maintaining public confidence.
However, words alone will not be enough.
INEC must take transparent, concrete actions to ensure that the election is conducted fairly and impartially.
This includes ensuring that ad hoc staff and other electoral workers are neutral and not affiliated with any political party, as well as making the voting and result collation processes as transparent as possible.
