Guber polls: Signals from Edo damning, dangerous –INEC chair

He expressed concerns over damning security reports on violence and attacks by suspected hoodlums on individuals and groups during campaigns in parts of the state. Yakubu stated: “We have been receiving reports of the security situation in Edo State, which is part of what we are going to dissocuss with members of the committee.

The environment has to be secure for the commission to conduct election. We are going to take every step to ensure that the environment is conducive for us to conduct election. We will also pay a courtesy visit on the Oba of Benin.

“In terms of readiness, we are ready for the election. We have come out with the policy on how to conduct elections under COVID-19. We test ran the policy in a small election on August 8 in Nasarawa State, when we had a by-election in the Nasarawa Central State Constituency. Now, we are ready for the big one, which is Edo governorship election.”

That was as the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, and other security agencies at the meeting talked tough on measures with assurances that voters and residents should not panic as stern measures would be put in place to deal with trouble makers and to ensure a hitch-free and peaceful process before, during and after the election.

Kokumo said the command and other teams made up of the joint security operatives to be deployed for the exercise would guarantee water tight strategies through manning of border towns, neighbouring communities between Edo and others states, land and waterways with the aims of checkmating infiltration of strange elements and ensure peaceful exercise.

However, Yakubu said this is the first time he was “meeting members of the inter agency in this manner to conduct a major election in Edo state in the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated: “Nigerians and citizens of Edo State should be rest assured of the challenge in conducting free, fair, credible, transparent and acceptable election for everyone.”

“This is the first major election that the commission is conducting in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, there is an additional pressure on all of us to ensure that we not only conduct free, fair, credible, transparent, acceptable, peaceful, but also safe election for everyone.

I am here essentially to do two things: meet with members of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and also meet with our own staff of INEC. Tomorrow, I am going to speak with all the electoral officers from all the 18 LGAs of the state.

I will also visit some of our local government offices.” According to him, “The whole purpose is for us to supervise and see firsthand, the level of preparation so far for the election. We have been receiving reports at the headquarters that it will be important to come down to Benin and see for ourselves what is truly on the ground.”

“From the point of view of the headquarters and of planning, where are we? On February 6th this year, the commission released the timetable and schedule of activities for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. We gave seven months’ notice for the Edo election, and eight months for Ondo election, and we itemised 14 activities under the timetable and schedule of activities to be carried out on specific dates, beginning with the publication of notice for the election and ending with electionday proper.

“I am happy to say that so far, we have successfully carried out 10 out of the 14 activities. None of the activities has been rescheduled. I hope and I trust that the security agencies are also fully prepared to deal with potential troublemakers. We will make the system open and transparent.”

On his part, Kokumo said, “We are prepared to address election security on the land, air and water. Every training arrangement has been made. We have made adequate security arrangement. The IGP, Mohammed Adamu, has also contacted other security chiefs at the national level for synergy.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC, Edo State, Dr. Johnson Alalibo, said the election would take place in the 192 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state with about 2,627 polling units, adding that the commission intends to use the 2019 voters register with about 2,210,534 voters for the polls. He also disclosed that 1,735, 910 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) have been collected while 483,868 have not been distributed. In addition, a total of 4,519 voting points and 192 Registration Area Centre (RAC) were recorded by the electoral body in the state. Alalibo stated that “As members of ICCES, it behooves on us to take a close watch on the campaigns and discuss any issue or incident, especially threats of violence on this platform. The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, on proposed a single term of six years for president and governors to reduce tension and violence associated with the reelection of candidates in Nigeria.

The Oba made the proposal when Yakubu, visited him in Benin. He said: “I am not an expert on political analysis, but I want to suggest that if possible after this election, you come up with a single term of six years and mechanism to review leaders performance periodically “We have been worried about the spate of violence and are appealing to the political actors not to turn the state into a battle ground. “All those who want to turn the land into a battle ground, the law of Karma will visit them one by one. Oba Ewuare II, however, disclosed that plans were underway to invite the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Pastor Ize Iyanmu, to the palace for a meeting. Yakubu said he was in the palace to seek royal blessing ahead of the governorship election scheduled for Sept. 19, in the state. He said the visit was also to express appreciation for the magnanimity the palace showed the commission in 2016 when it shifted his coronation activities due to the election. “We are concerned about the activities of some politicians and know that the voice of the palace is a strong voice. “We urge the palace to help speak with the people on the need to shun violence. “INEC is not a political party, the choice of whom becomes the next governor of Edo lies with the people,” he said.