Edo 2020: INEC expresses worry over drumbeats of war by political actors

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi who expressed the worry on Monday at a webinar on Edo/Ondo Elections by the International Press Centre (IPC) said there have been accusations and counter accusations.

Oyekanmi said: “As we approach the Edo Governorship election, it is clear that the good people of the state and Nigerians as a whole are very concerned about what will happen on election day.

“On proactive measures taken by the Commission to address security concerns, consultations with the ICCES are on-going. About two weeks ago, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu led a delegation to meet with the revered Oba of Benin to ask him to intervene and appeal to political actors to allow a peaceful election.

“The respected Monarch promised to invite them to his palace for interaction and he has already done so. Plans have also been concluded for all the 14 political parties participating in the election to sign a Peace Accord in the coming days. With all these efforts, it is our hope that the election will be held peacefully”.

He stressed that INEC is ready for the election and is determined to conduct the exercise despite the current difficult circumstance as out of the 14 activities listed in the timetable that was released in February, 12 have been carried out 12 with only two – deadline and election proper left.

“All the logistics needed for the election have been taken care of. The non-sensitive materials have been delivered to the 18 local government areas of the state. Our Electoral Officers, their Assistants and Supervisory Presiding Officers have been trained.

“Officers nominated by the various security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) have also been trained and their actions will be guided by the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Security Personnel on Electoral Duty.

“To that extent, regardless of the not-so-pleasant experiences Journalists might have experienced with security agents during elections in the past, they are rest assured of a good experience this time round”, he added.

In his remarks, Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of International Press Centre (IPC) stated that the main duty of journalists during elections is to relay the information that citizens will require to make informed choices.

According to him: “It is a duty we must not abdicate but which we have to undertake with the utmost sense of professional responsibility so as to set the appropriate pubic interest agenda as far as elections in Edo and Ondo states are concerned”.