INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is committed to a credible electoral process in the coming Edo and Ondo governorship elections.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, made this known at a webinar on Edo/Ondo elections, organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) and Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).
The theme of the webinar was ‘Edo/Ondo Elections: The imperative of Safety Consciousness and Conflict Sensitivity in Media Coverage and Reportage’.
Oyekanmi said the commission was committed to providing a level playing field for candidates and parties.
“We are not interested in the outcome of the elections, but the credibility of the process to ensure that materials get to the polling units in time.”
He appealed to reporters to be fair and objective in reporting the Edo and Ondo elections, saying despite the utterances of politicians in Edo State and the challenges, INEC was ready for a credible poll.
Oyekanmi said the commission had taken proactive measures to address security concerns.
“INEC is determined to conduct the election despite the current difficult circumstances.
“Of the 14 activities listed in the timetable released in February, we have carried out 12.
“The only two left are the deadline for campaigns slated for September 17 and the election proper holding on September 19.
“All the logistics needed for the election have been taken care of. The non-sensitive materials have been delivered to the 18 local governments,” he said.
The Executive Director of ICP, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said the key objectives of the webinar were to strengthen the capacity of the media to engage professional, ethical, issue-oriented and gender-sensitive issues.
He said it was also to improve their capacity on inclusive sensitive and conflict sensitive reporting of the electoral processes and elections.
The Nation
