Kogi State Poll: INEC Promises Free And Fair Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission under the headship of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu has promised to deliver free and fair election.

Yakubu gave the assurance on Monday that the commission would maintain the sanctity of the ballot box in the state by conducting what he described as a free, fair and credible election.

The INEC boss made the statement when he met with the heads of the nation’s security agencies, led by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase ahead of Saturday’s election in the state.

He said, “I want to assure Nigerians that we will conduct a credible, free and fair election. We won’t be the one to impose a governor on the people of the state.

“The people of Kogi will elect their own governor. We are moving to Kogi tomorrow (Tuesday) to have a meeting with the political parties, candidates and other stakeholders.

“The decision of who becomes the governor of the state lies in the people of the state. We won’t impose anyone on them.”

He said Monday’s meeting with the security agencies was called in order to deliberate on how to conduct a free, fair and credible election, adding that the conduct of an election was not the responsibility of the commission alone but that of all stakeholders.

He pointed out that the commission decided to set up the Inter-agency Consultative Election Management Committee at the local, state and national levels to discuss issues relating to security on the conduct of elections, following the unprecedented violence that greeted the 2011 general elections.

In his remarks, the IGP warned potential troublemakers to keep off Kogi State before, during and after the poll, saying that all security agencies were fully prepared for the election and would not allow anybody or group to disrupt the electoral process under whatever guise.

Arase promised that all the security agencies would collaborate with the commission for a free, fair and credible election in the state.