Stephen Ukandu, News & Features Editor
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has promised to conduct a free, fair, and credible governorship and House of Assembly by-election this weekend in Ekiti State.
National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who gave the assurance during a press conference Tuesday in Ado Ekiti, disclosed that the Commission had already delivered non-sensitive materials to the state.
He also said that the Commission had extended the collection of permanent voter’s card to Thursday, June 16.
The INEC boss also said that the Commission had deployed four National Commissioners, eight Resident Electoral Commissioners and many senior officials to support its local staff in the state “to deliver credible elections.”
He further said that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed for voter accreditation and uploading of election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day.
“The devices have already been configured and charged for the election,” Yakubu added.
He said that the Commission would deploy assistive devices like magnifying glasses, Braille Ballot Guide and Posters for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
Professor Yakubu who read from a prepared speech said that the choice of Ekiti’s next Governor would be made by the electorate as INEC will ensure a level playground for all contestants.
Below is a full text of the text obtained by Ikengaonline:
“ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU, AT THE EKITI GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING HELD AT THE AMAZING GRACE EVENTS CENTRE, ADO-EKITI, TUESDAY 14TH JUNE 2022
- “Let me join our Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State to welcome you once again to this meeting. As you are all aware, the Governorship election in Ekiti State will hold this Saturday after several months of preparations since the Commission released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities in June last year. The Governorship election will be combined with a pending bye-election in Ekiti East I State House of Assembly constituency which was earlier suspended following the unfortunate disruption of the process in March last year.
- “The Commission is aware that stakeholders have expressed concerns about the election and would like to be given assurances in two critical areas. First is the transparency and credibility of the election; and secondly, its security and peaceful conduct. We are taking both issues very seriously. I will speak about our preparations for free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election. I am also glad that the Inspector General of Police, as the head of the lead agency in internal security, is personally here today to address the triple dimensions of securing the process before, during and after the elections.
- “For us in INEC, let me reassure political parties, candidates and the electorate that the choice of who becomes the next Governor of Ekiti State is entirely in the hands of voters. INEC will not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate. Our focus is on the processes and procedures as provided by law. In this regard, the election holding this weekend is historic being the first Governorship election that the Commission will be conducting based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 which came into force about four months ago on 25th February 2022. It is also the first election to be conducted based on our revised Regulations and Guidelines anchored on the provisions of the new Electoral Act. We have also revised our Training Manual to reflect the provisions of the new Electoral Act as well as the Regulations and Guidelines.
- “So far, the Commission has implemented several activities for the election. We have taken every step and made every arrangement for the successful conduct of the Governorship election this weekend. We held many meetings with political parties and their candidates. We had several engagements with the security agencies at national, State and Local Government levels. We consulted with stakeholders. We sought for, and received, the blessings of Royal Fathers and religious leaders. We have recruited, trained and carefully screened all categories of ad-hoc staff to be deployed to the field. We have delivered all non-sensitive materials for the election. Voter education and sensitisation is ongoing. We have made arrangements for the transportation of personnel and materials to all polling units on Election Day. For a more effective supervision of the process, we have deployed four National Commissioners, eight Resident Electoral Commissioners and many senior officials to support our State office here in Ekiti State to deliver credible elections.
- “Voter registration was carried out all over the State, including the devolution of the exercise to the 177 Wards across the State. We have printed and delivered the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for all valid registrants in Ekiti State and collection of the cards by voters is ongoing. I am happy to note that many citizens have already collected their cards. Of the 988,923 registered voters in Ekiti State, 749,065 (or 76%) have collected their cards as at yesterday Monday 13th June 2022. However, in the last few days, the Commission has received several inquiries from citizens who are yet to collect their PVCs and are demanding to know when the collection of cards will be suspended before the election. In response to these enquiries, I wish to announce that the collection of PVCs will continue in all our 16 Local Government Area Offices until Thursday16th June 2022 to allow us one day (i.e., Friday 17th June 2022) for movement to the Registration Area Centres. I appeal to all registered voters that are yet to collect the PVCs to seize the opportunity to do so.
- “To underscore our commitment to an inclusive, credible and transparent electoral process, the Commission is deploying a number of assistive devices for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to have a more pleasant voting experience on Election Day. Magnifying glasses, Braille Ballot Guide and Posters for voters with hearing conditions will be deployed at polling unit level in areas of need based on data collected in collaboration with the PwD community. Similarly, our revised Regulations and Guidelines provide for priority to be accorded at polling units to PwDs without waiting in long queues during voting as is the case with elderly people, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
- “The Commission continues to deploy technology in the electoral process both as a matter of practice and a requirement of the law. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed for voter accreditation and uploading of election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day. The devices have already been configured and charged for the election. Steps have been taken to ensure that the BVAS machines function optimally during voter accreditation based on lessons learnt from the conduct of recent elections. A few weeks ago, mock accreditation exercise was conducted in polling units across the three Senatorial Districts of Ekiti State. I personally observed the mock exercise in Ado, Ikere and Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Areas. We are encouraged by the successful outcome of the exercise. We have also trained enough Registration Area Technical Support (RATECHs) staff and made adequate transportation arrangements for their rapid response in the event of reported glitches on Election Day.
- “The Commission has accredited Polling Agents nominated by political parties for all the 2,445 polling units, 177 Ward collation centres, 16 Local Government Area collation centres and the State Collation Centre where the final declaration of result will be made. As a testimony to the intense national and international interest in the 2022 Ekiti State Governorship Election, 87 observer groups (79 domestic and 8 international) have been accredited to observe the election. Similarly, 483 journalists representing 91 media organisations were accredited to cover the election as at yesterday afternoon.
- “On Election Day, the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja will monitor the election throughout the State. Our Zoom Situation Room will be activated. We are working to ensure that accredited observers and the media are invited to join us at intervals to provide live reports from the field. At the same time, citizens can contact us on our various platforms such as the toll-free INEC Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC) telephone line in addition to our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
- “Like every conscientious Nigerian, the Commission is deeply worried by the use of money to induce voters on Election Day. Clearly, vote buying is a threat to our electoral democracy. To discourage the practice, we changed the configuration of our polling units to bring the ballot boxes closer to the voting cubicles and also banned the use of mobile phones and photographic devices by voters while in the voting cubicles. We have also intensified our collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to deal with both the buyers and the takers under the law. I urge all stakeholders to join the Commission in tackling the menace.
- “Before I conclude, I would like to seize this opportunity to invite you all to the signing of the Peace Accord by parties and candidates under the auspices of the National Peace Committee chaired by our respected former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR. The occasion is holding in this hall at 10am tomorrow Wednesday 15th June 2022.
- “On this note, let me once again welcome the Inspector-General of Police, leaders and candidates of political parties, and all other stakeholders to this meeting. I wish to reassure you that the Commission has taken every step to ensure that the election this weekend is free, fair, credible, inclusive, and safe.
- “I thank you all for your presence and God bless.”
