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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced that political parties and candidates for the forthcoming off-season governorship elections in Ondo State will sign the Peace Accord on November 8, 2024.
Yakubu made this disclosure on Thursday at a meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The INEC Chairman, who also highlighted identified flashpoints, assured the gathering of CSOs and journalists that security agencies have been informed about the local government areas where peace may be threatened on election day.
The Chairman advised election observers to limit their responsibilities to monitoring the election, warning that the Commission would not hesitate to withdraw accreditation from any observer who violates the rules.
He stated, “As early as next week, the Commission will conduct a final readiness assessment for the Ondo election, meet with our officials, engage stakeholders, and interact with security agencies and transport providers.
I am pleased to announce that the National Peace Committee, under the leadership of our esteemed former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, GFCR, will hold the Peace Accord signing for parties and candidates in Ondo State on Friday, November 8, 2024.
“As the Ondo State Governorship election approaches, I urge CSOs who have yet to submit their reports for the Edo Governorship election to do so promptly.
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I also encourage intensified advocacy for peaceful elections, especially now that campaigns by political parties and candidates are in full swing in the state.
Fortunately, there has been no major election-related violence in Ondo State thus far. However, we are aware of flashpoints in certain local government areas, and we have already alerted security agencies.
“Furthermore, I would like to remind observers of their obligations to comply with the Commission’s rules of engagement for accredited election observers.
The Commission reserves the right to withdraw the accreditation of any individual observer or group that violates the Code of Conduct for election observation. A concise summary of this Code is contained in the 22-page document, ‘Briefing for Observers,’ available on our website at www.inecnigeria.org.”
The INEC Chairman also took the opportunity to inform attendees of plans to conduct mock accreditation of voters in selected areas to test the functionality of the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV). He emphasized that logistical arrangements for the election are well underway.
“The capacity of election duty staff has improved through hands-on training, particularly for Polling Unit officials. As we approach the Ondo State governorship election, we will continue to make enhancements, especially in logistics for moving personnel and materials to both land and riverine locations to ensure timely commencement of polls and efficient management of the election day processes, from voting to result declaration.
A mock accreditation of voters and results upload to the IReV has already been scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, 2024, in 12 Polling Units across six Local Government Areas within the three Senatorial Districts of the State.”
