The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called for heightened vigilance among security agencies as the countdown to the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections intensifies.
Speaking at the third regular quarterly meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held at INEC Headquarters, Abuja, today, Yakubu emphasized the importance of ensuring peaceful, transparent, and disruption-free elections.
In his address, Prof. Yakubu highlighted the significant increase in voter registration in the two states, noting that Edo now boasts 2,629,025 registered voters—a 4.9% increase from the 2023 general election—while Ondo State has seen a 3.0% increase, bringing its total to 2,053,061 voters. He further pointed out that young and middle-aged persons (aged 18-49) comprise 71.5% of the electorate in both states, with students representing 33.4% of the voter demographic.
As the election campaigns heat up, Yakubu urged political parties and their supporters to maintain peace and avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could escalate tensions. He stressed that a peaceful campaign is often a precursor to a peaceful election and appealed to party spokespersons to be mindful of their language.
The INEC Chairman also acknowledged the potential threats posed by armed groups and urged security agencies to leave no stone unturned in preventing disruptions to the electoral process. With just 37 days remaining until the Edo election and 93 days before the Ondo polls, Yakubu called for continued cooperation among all stakeholders to ensure smooth preparations and conduct.
Yakubu also reminded security personnel of the importance of adhering to the established codes of conduct and rules of engagement while on electoral duty. He announced that the guidelines have been included in the meeting folders and are also available on the INEC and Nigeria Police websites.
In addition to the governorship elections, Prof. Yakubu informed the committee about several upcoming bye-elections in various states, including Rivers, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Oyo, and more. He urged security agencies to begin preparations for these by-elections to ensure effective deployment and conduct.
The meeting, which was attended by key security, intelligence, and law enforcement officials, as well as INEC National Commissioners, concluded with a renewed commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of the upcoming elections.
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