INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC logo
The Ondo gubernatorial election comes up tomorrow Saturday, this is yet another litmus test and opportunity for the Independent National Electoral Commission to affirms its mettle and prove the critics wrong.
INEC is expected to improve on the Edo outing in terms of logistics, security, fairness, impartiality and high standards of conduct.
The Inspector- General of Police should ensure the police operatives sent to provide security, exercise high level of professionalism, impartiality and should shun partisanship.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC should switch into action to prevent vote buying to ensure that the will of the people see light of day.
Already the prognosis is not too good few days into the election. The two major political parties Thursday were at each other’s jugular, over alleged violation of the peace accord signed by 17 political parties, candidates and stakeholders to ensure a credible and peaceful poll.
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Campaign Council, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, said in Akure, the state capital, that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, members were violating the peace accord by attacking PDP chieftains, and lamented that none of the culprits has been arrested by the police.
In a swift response, the APC described the claims as flimsy and baseless.
This comes on a day that Yiaga Africa and 45 observer groups tasked security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, with a credible and violence-free election.
In response, the electoral umpire, which distributed sensitive voting materials, yesterday, assured of its readiness to midwives a free and fair exercise.
In like manner, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said security agencies would be impartial and repeat the feat they achieved in the recent Edo governorship election.
It’s instructive that INEC-accredited election observers have urged the commission to be above board and live up to the expectations of Nigerians in the conduct of the exercise.
It’s the considered view of NATIONAL WAVES that the electoral management body must be seen to be above board by providing a level-playing ground to all the political parties and must be seen to be so.
We have no doubt whatsoever that the INEC under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, will live up to the expectations of not only the people of Ondo State but also Nigerians at large.
It must be noted that in any democratic state, it is always necessary that elections comply with stipulated rules and guidelines to ensure a smooth power transition in line with democratic principles and global best practices, which is the essence of accrediting civil society organizations to observe any election.
The manipulation of any electoral process leads to the emergence of an unpopular candidate as it is done against the wishes of the electorate, it is therefore an anathema and anti-democratic, as such acts are against civilized conduct by all standards.
Statistics from 2019 estimated that over 626 Nigerians lost their lives due to election related violence while 109 persons met their untimely end in the 2023 general elections.
It is the contention of this paper that politicians must change their attitude to public office and follow the path of sanity and decorum for the overall public good.
The responsibility on Professor Mahmoud- led INEC is onerous, but surmountable. Nigerians and in particular Ondo State citizens expect the best from the electoral body.
