Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has announced that the winner will not be announced in Edo and Ondo governorship elections coming up later this year if they are disrupted.
INEC chairman who disclosed this at a virtual workshop organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Tuesday June 9, added that they are adopting a different approach to ensure that the election does not turn out bloody just like what was witnessed in Kogi state.Â
Yakubu stated that violent acts puts the credibility of an election in doubt. He said;
“While elections are disrupted, we should look far beyond the electoral commission. I think you put your fingers on the problem, on the political class and the security challenges. And that is why we have been engaging with them.Â
“Yesterday, I had a meeting with the national security adviser, we are meeting with all the security agencies. But what pro-active measure is the commission going to take to ensure that if there is a replay of what happened in Bayelsa and Kogi, we will protect the integrity of the process.
“Where the election is disrupted and the commission cannot vouch for the integrity of the process, we will not go ahead to make any declaration. And this we have told the political parties pointblank; you either behave for the elections to be concluded in a free and fair manner or we do what the law says.
“If we can’t vouch for the credibility of the process, there is no point concluding it and making declaration. That we have committed to. The commission will not endorse fraud and what is clearly outside the minimum standard we have set for the conduct of credible elections anywhere.”
