Babatunji Wusu –
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has assured that the Commission is fully prepared for the upcoming governorship election in Edo State, scheduled for September 21. He emphasized that there are currently no anticipated security threats.
During a session with the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, Yakubu confirmed that no security risks have been reported. While a political party had previously raised concerns about potential security issues during a visit by INEC National Commissioners to Edo State, there have been no formal reports from any party or candidate indicating a specific security threat.
Yakubu noted that during a meeting with political parties at the INEC office in Benin, the Commissioner of Police assured that any security concerns would be addressed in cooperation with the state government.
He stated, “With less than 60 days to the election in Edo State and about 100 days to the election in Ondo State, I want to assure you that the Commission is prepared for both elections. We have a history of conducting successful governorship elections in these states. In Edo, we managed the elections in 2016 and 2020, and we are set to conduct another in September 2024. In Ondo, we held elections in 2016 and 2020, and we aim to do so again in November 2024.”
Yakubu also mentioned that he and a team of commissioners had visited both states, engaging with stakeholders, including political parties and security agencies. Despite recent flooding in the Edo office, which had previously operated from a rented facility, Yakubu expressed confidence in conducting the election from the Commission’s own premises this time.
He addressed security concerns, stating, “The main issue for the Edo governorship election, like any other, is security. When concerns were raised about the Edo State Security Network (ESSN), we promptly met with the Commissioner of Police and all security agencies in Edo. We agreed to discuss the matter with all political parties, and the Commissioner of Police was tasked with addressing it with the state government. Since then, I have not received any further complaints from parties or candidates regarding the ESSN.”
Yakubu concluded, “For now, everything is proceeding smoothly, but we still have 57 days until the election.”
