By Alltimepost.com
Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the guidelines and timetable for the governorship election holding in Edo State on September 10, this year.
According to INEC, Party Primaries will hold from June 2 to July 4, 2016 and campaigns will commence on Sunday June 10, 2016, while the official register of voters for the election will be published on August 11, 2016. The election proper will take place on September 10.
The new INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Mr. Sam Olumekun, gave the guidelines in Benin on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at the Government House, Benin City.
Olumekun said that the people must take ownership of this process, not as distant miserable spectators, but as active drivers and participants of the democratic process of which INEC has an extremely critical role to play, like the role of a referee.
He congratulated Governor Oshiomhole for what he termed: “the marvelous job you have done in Edo State over the years. As people say history will vindicate the just. Obviously, you have expended a lot of energy into the development of this State, and I pray that history will remember you very kindly.”
“I want to through you assure the entire people of Edo State that we are here for a very serious business in Edo State.
“INEC plans, as you are aware that because of Schedule 25 of the Electoral Act, we are supposed to conduct an election not earlier than 150 days before the expiration of the term of an incumbent governor, and not later than 30 days before his tenure expires.
“So, later this year, INEC plans to conduct a governorship election in Edo State. I want to use this forum to assure the very good and sophisticated people of Edo State that we shall on our honor do a very thorough job and abide by the very core values of INEC, some of which include transparency, credibility, and fairness. We would be very just and we would create a very level playing ground for all and sundry.”
According to him, in due course, INEC will commence activities towards the election, including continuous voter registration exercise to give opportunity to those who have just attained the legal voting age of 18, adding that the details of this would be made known to the public in due course.
“In addition, I also want to use this medium to assure the good people of Edo State because, since the Supreme Court judgment, there is this misconception of the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court did not at any time say that INEC should not use the smart card readers. Indeed, it has been described as novel.
“I want to use this forum to inform the good people of Edo State that we shall make use of the smart card readers for the governorship election.”
He also said the commission had the cause to amend slightly, the process of voting during the recent re-run election that it conducted in some parts of the country.
“We now do accreditation and voting simultaneously. You would recall that before now, you would first accredit voters and then they will come back to vote.
“But as we find means of improving the delivery of our services, we want to henceforth do accreditation and allow citizens to vote simultaneously. It has been successful in the re-run elections that we have had, and we want to use it also in the conduct of Edo election.”
He solicited the support of the state government in mobilizing the people of Edo State to participate actively in all the activities of INEC.
In his response Governor Adams Oshiomhole welcomed the new INEC boss to the state and prayed for God to grant him guidance, wisdom, courage and robust energy to enable succeed in the task of preparations and the conduct of the forthcoming election.
He urged him to flush out corrupt officials whom he said, were fingered for aiding electoral fraud in the last general election.
Oshiomhole told him he was a believer in and preacher of one man one vote “because for too long the promise of democracy was compromised in our country and my campaign matra was that you must fight election fraud, not because of me but because of our country.”
“It was clear to me that unless you have an accountable government, poverty will remain endemic and society will remain unsafe.
“But I am happy that several years down the line, we have played our part and contributed our quota in the struggle to entrench real democracy and uphold one man one vote.”
“It’s good that you have pointed out what government should do, what the police should do, but I also need to suggest to you what you have to do so that those people who are still in your office who are corrupt, who aid electoral fraud that they are eliminated from the process.
“In line with my own tradition, there is no need to cover up what needs to be exposed because transparency is important if we are going to sustain a full-fledged democracy, I don’t think that we should continue with this primitive tradition,” Oshiomhole cautioned.
According to him: “when you have criminals there, they need to be weeded out, with all due respect to you. So, it is more in your hand. You hold the knife and you also hold the yam, and even the banana and the coconut. So, how you play this instrument is what determines the outcome.
“I assure you whatever we can do to encourage the police and other security people to provide security, certainly we will do, but a lot, and I emphasize a lot rests with INEC.”
