INEC Worries Over Edo, Ondo Guber Polls

• Alerts security agencies of ‘warning signals’
• Says violence looms

BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Ahead of political party primaries for the 2020 Edo and Ondo States’ governorship elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says emerging signals are worrying and indicative of likely violence in the two states.

The Commission has therefore urged security agencies to be alert and conscious of what it described as ‘warning signals’ of violence and acrimonious contestation during the forthcoming primaries and elections proper.

In drawing attention of relevant authorities to the inherent danger signals, INEC said all stakeholders must act in a proactive manner to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order before, during and after the exercise in both states.

Speaking during a virtual meeting with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, noted that political parties’ conduct of their primaries have always proved acrimonious and turbulence.

He regretted that such acrimony always fester and is unfortunately carried into campaigns and election day activities by the political actors.

The INEC boss therefore challenged security agencies to launch into early engagement with the political parties and the aspirants with a view to creating an atmosphere for peaceful primaries and the consequent elections.

On the Commission’s preparedness for the elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof Mahmoud said; “INEC’s policy on conducting elections under the current global pandemic is anchored on the guidelines issued by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) based on the advisory by health authorities.

“The guidelines provide for measures to protect the electoral process and the people involved, ranging from the election officials and observers to the media and, above all, the voters.

“Doing so will also increase public confidence and consequently enhance the credibility of the electoral process.”

The electoral umpire chief further said; “To do so effectively, there is need to review the security architecture in the light of the global pandemic and come up with clear guidelines as well as supplementary code of conduct for security personnel on election duty.”