‘Yomi Ayeleso – Ado-Ekiti
Ahead of the February 25 and March 11 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it would commence training of ad hoc staff for the poll on January 11 across the country.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Professor Ayobami Salami. who disclosed this on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti during a stakeholders meeting and signing of a peace accord by political parties, added that the commission is putting everything in place to deliver credible and acceptable poll for the country.
Nine political parties of Accord, Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party, and the Zenith Labour Party signed the peace accord.
Salami said that the training for the Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPO) starting on February 11 would last for two days, while the training for other officials to take charge of the election across the 2,445 Polling Units would commence thereafter.
He declared that non-sensitive materials have been deployed to the respective 16 LGAs for onward transmission to the registration areas, assuring the electorate that the commission would open the polls as expected on the day of the election.
The REC solicited the support of the political parties and their candidates for the successful conduct of the election, by conducting themselves in a peaceful manner and following the already established rules and guidelines for the 2023 general election.
On the collection of the PVCs for the election, he said that a total of 789,318 persons are expected to vote in the election with their PVCs out of the 988,923 registered voters, adding that 199,605 PVCs were remaining uncollected in the state.
According to him, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) that would be used for the election would enhance the credibility of the poll, noting that over-voting and other electoral malpractices would be exposed by the technological device.
Speaking on the importance of the peace accord, the REC said, “We are all aware that meaningful development cannot take place in an environment devoid of peace. Therefore, no credible and reliable election can be conducted in an atmosphere of violence. Hence the need to hold ourselves accountable as stakeholders for peaceful elections or otherwise.
“In this regard, I humbly appeal to all political parties and candidates to ensure that the 2023 general election is peaceful in this state. Kindly educate your followers on the need to always allow peace to reign and not make this election a do-or-die affair.”
On his part, the candidate of the APC for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1, Femi Bamisile commended the electoral umpire for the regular engagement with the stakeholders, noting that his party would support INEC towards delivering a credible, free and fair election.
The caretaker chairman of PDP in the state, Sadiq Obasoyen stated that the opposition party has been conducting its electioneering activities in a peaceful manner devoid of violence, calling on the commission not to disappoint the electorate.
