…says Oct 10 date for poll sacrosanct
Independent National Electoral Commission says in spite of the fire incident that gutted its Akure, Ondo State office on Thursday night, the October 10 governorship election in the state will be conducted as scheduled.
The inferno, which occurred at the computer section of the office of the commission, destroyed some electoral materials, particularly the card reader machines procured for the forthcoming election.
“Let me use this medium to allay the fears of the electorate, political parties and our stakeholders and the people of Ondo State that the fire incident will not affect the conduct of the forthcoming election in any form, neither will it lead to the postponement of the election”
Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, told journalists at the INEC headquarters in Alagbaka, Akure, on Friday that the schedule of the election remained unchanged despite the ugly development.
Akeju, who said that the the cause of the inferno had yet to be ascertained, said investigation was still ongoing to unravel the cause of the incident.
He said, “Up till now, the actual cause of the fire is unknown but relevant security agencies have commenced investigation and you will be further briefed as events unfold.
“Let me use this medium to allay the fears of the electorate, political parties and our stakeholders and the people of Ondo State that the fire incident will not affect the conduct of the forthcoming election in any form, neither will it lead to the postponement of the election.
“Necessary arrangements have been put in place for the replacement of the damaged materials. Let me reiterate that our determination to conduct a free, fair, credible, and successful election remains undaunted. We shall not rest on our oars as an Election Management Body to always pursue the vision and mission of being an EMB that meets the aspirations of the Nigerian people.”