The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, on Thursday assured Ekiti people that the June 20 governorship election would be credible.
Amupitan said that “INEC is logistically, technologically and operationally prepared to deliver an election that will stand as an unassailable benchmark of credibility. A credible election is built upon the integrity of its voter register.”
The INEC chairman, who spoke in Ado Ekiti while addressing stakeholders on the commission’s preparedness for the election, said there were 1,059,360 registered voters eligible to exercise their franchise across the 16 local government areas, spanning 177 wards and 2,445 polling units.
He said, “To secure the sanctity of the ballot, the commission is deploying its full suite of technological safeguards. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System will be the sole instrument for voter authentication and accreditation.
“Our immutable legal standard is: ‘No PVC, No Accreditation’ and No Voting. There will be no bypasses, and there will be no exceptions.”
He disclosed that the commission was partnering with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to deter vote trading.
He said, “Deployed personnel are under strict instructions to keep the immediate perimeter of our 2,445 polling units completely insulated from the corrosive influence of vote-buying and financial inducement.
“We shall defend the ballot box from physical violence and fiscal contamination alike.”
According to him, all polling-unit results will be uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal to guarantee public transparency.
The INEC chairman said, “Simultaneously, we have deliberately elevated our infrastructure for administrative inclusivity. This election will see the practical deployment of assistive technologies, including Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses for persons with albinism and other persons living with disabilities. Equity is not an afterthought; it is a necessity.”
He urged the political leadership to actively de-escalate rhetoric, saying, “The commission, working in absolute cohesion with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, has mapped every localised vulnerability, including specific risks related to political thuggery, cultism or attempted ballot disruption in known areas of the state.
“Security forces have been handed precise operational orders to deal decisively with any actor, regardless of status, who seeks to subvert the peace or test our collective resolve.”
Amupitan, who said that INEC’s goal was the simultaneous activation of all 2,445 polling units at exactly 8:30 a.m. on Election Day, said the logistics plan had been perfected, adding that arrangements with transporters were being finalised to ensure the synchronised movement of personnel and materials.
He told political parties, candidates and Ekiti citizens, “The ultimate credibility of our democracy rests upon a shared allegiance to the rule of law.
“On its part, INEC remains an independent, completely dispassionate and impartial arbiter in the discharge of its constitutional mandates.
“We hold no preferred candidates, and we answer to no political interest. Our solitary alignment is with the law and the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.”
He urged media practitioners, “Report what you see with accuracy, fairness and professional discipline. Resist the temptation of sensationalism, reject the inducement of partisanship and decline every invitation to become an instrument of electoral mischief.
“The Nigerian voter deserves the truth, and only the truth. Report it without fear or favour.”
Stakeholders at the meeting included political party members, governorship candidates and their running mates, civil society organisations, observers, media practitioners and INEC officials.