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Ahead of the 2024 governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, opposition political parties in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties, and election observer group, Yiaga Africa, have tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a credible exercise.
INEC has fixed September 21 and November 16 for the Edo and Ondo governorship polls respectively.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the spokesman for the CUPP, Mark Adebayo, urged INEC to use the off-season governorship polls to improve on its 2023 performance.
He said, “Free, fair, and credible elections are the fundamental hallmarks of a sustainable democracy. Therefore, my expectations are that INEC will improve its election management capacity in these two off-season elections in Ondo and Edo states.
“I urge them to conduct themselves with the highest level of responsibility and decency. The security agencies have to be on top of their game to ensure the security of the voters and INEC personnel in the field.”
The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, in a phone interview with our correspondent, said, “There are three major expectations ahead of the Edo and Ondo elections. The first major one deals with the issues around electoral integrity and whether issues relating to manipulation of the elections will not be the approach that politicians will take by compromising INEC officials.
“That is, to mutilate election results in their favour. Politicians in Edo and Ondo States must play by the rules. The second major expectation is that INEC must learn its lessons from the last all-cycle election and ensure issues around logistics challenges don’t rear their ugly head in Edo and Ondo.”
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, has resigned from his position to pursue a political ambition.
Ogie who tendered his resignation on August 9, 2024, is the running mate to the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo in the September 21 election.
