Chairman of the Indepedent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu has cautioned against intimidation of opposition parties ahead of the Edo State Governorship elections.
Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the INEC Chairman who appealed to security agencies to halt violent attacks during campaigns also warned against “the use of the power of incumbency to deny opposition parties and candidates access to public facilities such as Radio and Television stations, public buildings for campaigns and rallies or even outdoor advertising through the imposition of excessive fees and levies often result in the breach of the peace.
“These actions, including the mutual destruction of campaign materials and facilities, violate the provisions of Sections 91 to 97 of the Electoral Act 2022. The security agencies have a duty to ensure the enforcement of the law.”
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The INEC Chairman who informed the gathering of security Chiefs of his Commission plan to reopen Continous Voters Registration in Edo state ahead of the September elections equally appealed to them to give protection to
“registrants, registration personnel, equipment, observers and journalists that will cover the exercise.
“There are two activities relating to the forthcoming Governorship elections that we need to draw your attention to. First is the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the two States that will enable eligible citizens who are not registered voters to do so. Similarly, those who are registered voters will also have the opportunity to transfer their registration from other States of the Federation to Edo and Ondo States or from one location to another within the States. Complaints about lost or damaged voters’ cards will be considered during the registration period. The CVR will take place simultaneously in the two States from Monday 27th May 2024 to Wednesday 5th June 2024 from 9.00am to 3.00pm daily including the weekend. During the period, uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from previous registrations in the two States will also be available for collection by registered voters.
“The CVR will take place at Ward level and our State headquarters. This means that there will be 192 Ward registration centres in Edo State and 203 centres in Ondo State in addition to our State offices in Benin City and Akure, making a total of 397 registration centres in the two States. Each centre will be managed by two officials drawn from our regular staff and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
“We need security protection for the registrants, registration personnel, equipment, observers and journalists that will cover the exercise. ”
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