The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed confidence that the Ondo State Governorship Election on November 16 will be a successful event.
He noted that the commission has drawn valuable lessons from the recent governorship election in Edo State in September and other past elections, particularly concerning logistics and results management.
During a visit to the INEC state headquarters in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, Yakubu stated, “We have gained significant insights not only from the last election but also from earlier ones. Essentially, we face two main challenges: the logistics of conducting the election to ensure polling units are operational on time and managing the results efficiently. I assure voters in Ondo State that they will notice significant improvements in these two areas.”
Explaining the purpose of his visit, the INEC Chairman said he came to evaluate the preparedness of the commission’s Ondo State office for the upcoming election.
“We have received encouraging reports from our office in Akure, but we decided to conduct a readiness assessment as well. Our main objective is to review the ongoing preparations and acknowledge the commendable efforts of the state office.”
Yakubu added, “We will be here for several days, during which we will meet with various stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organizations, the media, and security forces. We will also engage with our staff to gauge our overall readiness for the election.”
As part of the preparations, he highlighted that they would observe a mock voter accreditation process taking place in 16 polling units across six local government areas within the three senatorial districts of the state.
“In addition to these activities, we will hold discussions with stakeholders on Thursday, and the following day, the National Peace Committee will convene all stakeholders to sign the national peace accord.”
