The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised Nigerians that Saturday’s election will be conclusive at the first ballot.
To achieve this, the commission said it is deploying five National Commissioners and 12 Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) to supervise the election.
In 2018, the governorship election was declared inconclusive by the Returning Officer, Joseph Fuwape, after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke, scored 254,698 votes, while Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor, polled 254,345 votes.
Fuwape had explained that the total registered voters in the five polling units where elections were canceled were 3,498, which was higher than the difference between the votes of the leading candidates. Oyetola was eventually declared the winner after a rerun.
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance at a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the state capital. Yakubu also reassured political parties that they will remain neutral, adding that the electorate will determine who wins the election.
He said: “Let me reassure political parties, candidates, and the electorate that the choice of who becomes the next governor is entirely in the hands of voters. As I have repeatedly said in previous engagements with stakeholders, INEC will not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate. Our focus is on the processes and procedures as provided by law.
“So far, we have successfully implemented 12 of the 14 activities contained in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election. The only two outstanding activities are the last day of campaigning by political parties which ends at midnight of July 14 and election day activities on July 16.”
