Ondo Election: INEC Makes Final Decision on Postponement

 

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakoob, has ruled out the possibility of postponing Saturday’s Ondo governorship election, saying the commission had put everything in place to ensure its success.

Speaking at a meeting in Akure on Tuesday, Mr. Yakoob said the situation in Ondo had not met the conditions provided by the Electoral Act, required for an election to be postponed according to Premium Times.

“We have taken steps to ensure that the Ondo election is held as scheduled,” he said. “INEC has no plan to postpone the election this weekend.”

He said that where disputes within a party became a matter of litigation, INEC would abide by the decisions of the Court to determine the candidate of the party.

The PDP and some 16 political parties have called for the postponement of the election. The PDP said the election should be rescheduled in view of the litigation on who is the rightful candidate of the party disputed by Eyitayo Jegede and Jimoh Ibrahim.

Mr. Ibrahim is the PDP’s candidate after INEC was ordered by the court to replace Mr. Jegede. Mr. Yakoob said INEC would abide the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act in administering the election.

“We have warned our officers to be abide by the law. They have also sworn to an oath of neutrality,” he said, assuring that INEC was committed to delivering a transparent election. “This INEC will never be compromised,” he said.