The outgoing year is one of mixed fortunes for the country's electoral arbiter, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He may appear embarrassed by the successful completion of certain off-season elections; has demonstrated genuine efforts to clean up the electoral process. However, it suffered some losses caused by natural disasters. TAIWO AMODU presented a diary of the year's events at INEC under the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Floods hit INEC:
Following heavy rains on May 23, the Commission's office in Benin, the capital of Edo State, was severely flooded, causing damage to movable and immovable property.
The natural disaster almost threatened the Edo State gubernatorial election as registration machines already set up for Continuous Voter Registration were damaged.
TRC increases voter registrations in Edo and Ondo
Ahead of the off-season elections in Edo and Ondo states, Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Information and Education Committee, last June announced 269,992 new voters in the two states.
September: APC replaces PDP, as Okpebholo wins Edo
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has been declared winner of the state governorship election. INEC Returning Officer for the elections, Faruk Kuta, announced the final results after collating the results of the 18 local government areas of the state. The returning officer said Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival and People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes. The Labor Party (LP) candidate, Olumude Akpata, came a distant third with 22,763 votes. The final results showed that Okpebholo won in 11 local government areas of the state, while Ighodalo won in seven. Labor Party candidate Mr Akpata did not win in any area of local government.
October: INEC ignores APC and Makinde's demand that Ondo REC be removed
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had demanded the removal of the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Toyin Babalola. At the PDP rally in Akure, the Oyo State Governor stated that the REC is from Ondo State. He said: “This message is for the INEC National Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood. He must remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola. She is from Ondo State,” Makinde said. “What you did in Edo, you cannot do in Ondo.” The commission, in a statement on its X account, later debunked the claim that Babalola is an Ondo indigene, adding that it is against the policy of the commission to deploy REC in its statement of origin. “For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State, in line with the Commission’s policy of not deploying a REC in her home state,” the statement read in part.
November 17: Aiyedatiwa wins
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, has been declared winner of the state governorship election. He was elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission after winning the gubernatorial elections in all 18 local government areas of the state. In the final declaration of the result by the State Returning Officer, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, he said the All Progressives Congress candidate, Ayedatiwa, polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party who polled 117,845 votes.
December 2: Fire in Delta
A fire at the Owa-Oyibu Commission office in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, caused by a power surge, destroyed 706 ballot boxes, 50 ballot bags, 322 aprons, three electric generators, 140 stamps and 50 ballots. box seals. However, the INEC National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, noted that “no injuries or deaths were recorded during the incident.”
December 13: INEC considers phasing out PVC:
In a meeting with his resident electoral commissioners, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, revealed that his leadership was proposing sweeping reforms to improve the country's electoral process. Among the proposed reforms is the gradual elimination of the use of Permanent Voter Cards during elections. He stated that INEC would soon present these proposals and more to the relevant committees of the Senate and House of Representatives. He said: “Among the highlights of the commission's recommendations is the imperative for legal clarity in results management, with respect to manual transfer versus electronic transmission of results.
“The commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, the use of Permanent Voter Cards as the only means of identification for the accreditation of voters on election day should be reviewed. Those who already have PVCs can still use them to vote, but in the future, computer-generated forms issued to the voter or even downloaded from the commission's website will be sufficient for voter accreditation. This will not only save costs; It will also eliminate the problems related to PVC collection and the diabolical practice of buying cards from voters to disenfranchise them.”
READ ALSO: Stop collaborating with politicians to manipulate elections, SDP's Adebayo tells INEC