Osun 2022: We don’t want inconclusive election, says INEC

Professor Abdulganiyu Raji, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Professor Abdulganiyu Raji, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission would conduct an inclusive governorship election in the state.

He also said the Commission would not want any disruption that could lead to an inconclusive election and assured that INEC would conduct a poll where everyone would be carried along.

This was disclosed by Raji during an implementation programme on voter’s education organised by INEC for Electoral Officers and Assistant Electoral Officers drawn from each of the 30 local government areas in the state and held in Osogbo on Wednesday.

He said after the programme, the selected officers that had been trained would return to their respective council areas and train staff under them.

According to him, the Commission was making efforts to ensure that it followed standard procedure in the conduct of the forthcoming governorship poll and assured that the body would ensure it remained non-partisan for the election to be transparent.

He said, “We don’t want disruption during the election; we don’t want an inconclusive election. And we are going to conduct an inclusive election where every set of people will be carried along.

“Gender, the less privileged, aged people, people with disabilities, is inclusiveness. This enlightenment and sensitisation are the exercises we are starting right from today.”

Commenting on the collection of Permanent Voters Cards, Raji said many PVCs had not been collected. The reason for such apathy was not known, even after necessary publicity had been done.

“We have over 370,000 PVCs, which are yet to be collected for those between 2011 and 2018. But for those who have just registered, you know the exercise took place in over three quarters, first, second and third quarters between June 2021 and March, this year.

“PVCs for those registered during the first and the second quarter, that is June till December 2021, is ready with us. However, we are waiting for the delivery of the ones for the third quarter this week; that is why we have not rolled out the PVCs,” Raji concluded.