INEC Assures To Conduct Credible Elections In Ekiti Gubernatorial Poll
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the forthcoming June 18 Ekiti State governorship election would be free, fair and credible.
It added that the era of election rigging has come to end.
On Wednesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti State, Dr Adeniran Tella, gave the assurance during a courtesy call on the office of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti Council .
Dr Adeniran Tella made disclosure that the commission has put in place mechanism to mitigate electoral vices.
He noted that technological advanced tools have been developed to ensure that the electorates elect the candidate of their choice.
According to him:“On June 18 , we are going to conduct election here in Ekiti and it will be credible and transparent. We will give our people the opportunity to choose who will determine their lives. We are going to work with relevant agencies to bring whoever that is trying to forment trouble to book.
“The era has gone when people would just sit somewhere and cooked up figures and say this is what they have seen. It is impossible now. It is the people that will determine who becomes governor in Ekiti and nothing more.
“We have Election Violence Mitigating and Advocacy tools being used now to ascertain where violence could erupt during elections to prevent and curb violence, so that we can protect the sanctity of the electoral system.”
Tella also disclosed that the electoral body have established more polling units in the state to ensure that every eligible citizen of the state participate in the exercise.
"The commission has created more polling points across units that have registered voters that are more than 750, thereby shoring up the number of units in the state from 2,195 to 2,445," he said.
However, while warning the various political parties to desist from actions or utterances that may cause chaos in the state, he also appealed to the electorates to avail themselves during the claims and objections exercise.
In his words: "The commission has created more polling points across units that have registered voters that are more than 750, thereby shoring up the number of units in the state from 2,195 to 2,445.
"We are not going to tolerate any violence or making of incendiary comments by candidates. This election must be peaceful. During the just concluded primaries of parties , one party contravened our guidelines, we didn’t spare it. We applied the law.
"INEC will conduct claims and objections exercise on March 18 for all the candidates that would participate in the poll, so that the people can scrutinise all their claims by being put in the court of public opinion.”