By Maria Ifafesobi
Akure
In its effort to ensure a free and fair election, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State has put into place measures to curtail vote-buying and violence during the forthcoming October 10 gubernatorial election in the state. The commission said it has started the process through voter education across the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Rufus Akeju, who spoke at the exercise on Tuesday in Akure, said, in the Ondo 2016 governorship election, a widespread of vote-buying and other electoral malpractices were reported. All the parties were allegedly involved in these acts.
According to Mr. Akeju, the three-day advocacy and voter education training for youth in Ondo State was organized by the National Democratic Institute in collaboration with the Pace-setter for Development of Rural Communities Initiative to prevent any form of electoral malpractices and to ensure that the election is free and credible.
” I want to assure you that the INEC is more than ever before, committed to the conduct of a free, fair, credible, conclusive, and acceptable election in Ondo State, come Saturday, October 10, 2020, in line with international best practices,” Mr. Akeju assured.
” Furthermore, the commission is working very hard towards eradicating the ‘do or die’ attitude, vote-buying menace as well as the high level of apathy associated with the electoral process.”
He further assured the people of Ondo state the commission was ready to conduct a free and fair election, without any form of malpractice.
Mr. Akeju also urged the youth in the state not to allow themselves to be used by politicians for thuggery and violence before, during, and after the election.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of the Pace-setter for Development of Rural Communities Initiative, Obatola Jonathan, said the three-day program was organized to educate the selected youth who would later go to their local governments and wards to train other youths on the need to participate peacefully in the forthcoming election.
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