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Tag: Ondo REC

  • PDP insists Ondo REC must go

    PDP insists Ondo REC must go

     The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must remove the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Babalola Oluwatoyin, ahead of next month’s governorship election.

    The opposition party said a new REC “with a non-partisan official with no previous association with Ondo State” be brought in. The Ondo PDP said the removal of Mrs. Babalola would restore public confidence in the Commission’s integrity.

    In a letter addressed to INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Ondo PDP Secretary, Oluseye Olujimi, said as Governor Seyi Makinde earlier warned that the party would continue to protest until its request is met should not be taken as an empty threat.

    The letter accused Yakubu of not doing diligent check before declaring that Babalola did not hail from Ondo State.

    According to the letter: “The rational thing for an unbiased umpire to do would have been to use the Ondo election as an opportunity to begin to work at gradually regaining voters’ confidence as well as restoring INEC’s lost integrity.

    Read Also: Commissioner defends Ondo govt on finance reforms, berates PDP

    “Replacing the Ondo REC should not be a change too difficult for you to effect, if you sincerely, genuinely and intentionally care about restoring the faith of democracy-loving Nigerians in your organisation INEC.

    “We would like to plead with you, to use the authority of your exalted office, to prevent whatever acts of commission or omission that could lead to anarchy and major threats to communal peace, or worse still, unhealthy political developments capable of derailing the country’s nascent democracy.

    “It is only by handling the Ondo election in the most professional manner, in accordance with global best practices, devoid of any trace of preferential treatment or concealment of any kind to favour any of the contestants and their parties, that your organisation can claim to have done commendably.”

  • Ondo polls: Protesters demand removal of Ondo REC

    Ondo polls: Protesters demand removal of Ondo REC

    Some protesters on Wednesday, October 2, protested at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akure and demanded the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola.

    The protesters accused the Ondo REC of romancing political parties in the state ahead of the November 16, governorship election.

    They expressed fears that the election would not be free and fair if Mrs. Babalola was allowed to preside over the conduct of the polls.

    The spokesman for the protesters and Akure South Coordinator of Vanguard for Democracy, Olawale Ijanusi, said the protest was because they wanted their votes to count.

    He said: “We demand for a free and fair election. We want the umpire not to be biased. We have been hearing stories that the Ondo REC has been having a romance with political parties. We are asking her to stop. When you are romancing party leaders, how will the election be free? There is no way for a fair election. She should be changed so that we have free and fair elections in Ondo State.”

    Read Also: Ondo records 240,000 out-of-school children

    Administrative Secretary of INEC in Ondo State, Biodun Amosun, assured the protesters that their votes would count.

    Amosun said allegations against the REC would be handled at the national headquarters of the electoral body.

    “We have heard your demands the thing is being handled at the headquarters. It is not easy for INEC to do anything if you vote. Ensure you have a situation room where you collate results from the polling units.”

  • Ondo REC: politics shouldn’t be for hooligans

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mutiu Agboke, has urged the political class to play the game by the rules to sustain democracy.

    The REC said the polity should be refine,  adding that the system was for intellectuals, not hooligans.

    He said: “I always like the people to raise issues rather than sentiments. There is no mystery in my office. Ondo is my priority, and people should respect the office, and not my age.”

    The lawyer urged stakeholders to take politics as a football game.

    He called for high-level intelligence and maturity among politicians to enable the commission succeed in its assignment.

    The Ogun State-born INEC chief solicited the pople’s support for his tenure.

    Agboke said the Independent National Electorla Commission (INEC) placed a high premium on cooperation and collaboration in electoral matters, especially as it was recorded during last year’s governorship election in the state.

    The REC assured Ondo State residents that his leadership would continue to provide a level-playing field for all parties and contestants.

    He said: “We shall strive at all times to live up to our cherished values of probity, fairness and integrity in the discharge of our mandate in the state and for Nigeria.”

  • Mimiko warns Ondo REC

    Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has warned the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje, not to tamper with the results that gave victory to the two candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last Saturday’s House of Assembly election in Ilaje Local Government.

    Contrary to the earlier declaration by the Returning officers that the PDP candidates won, Agbaje announced at a briefing on Sunday that the results were yet to be ratified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

    The governor said the REC lacked the power to tamper with the results of the election that gave victory to the PDP candidates, adding that whoever is uncomfortable with the outcome, should go to the tribunal.

    “As far as we are concerned, strictly in compliance with the Electoral Act, results were collated for Ilaje constituencies 1 and 2. The results were declared and result sheets signed by the appropriate Returning officers. As far as we know, there is nothing inconclusive about the election.

    “We don’t know anything about inconclusiveness, the election was concluded.”

     

  • Ondo REC declares Ilaje poll inconclusive

    Ondo REC declares Ilaje poll inconclusive

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday declared  inconclusive the House of Assembly election in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, following irregularities that marred the poll.

    Materials for some wards in Ilaje Local Government with two constituencies were hijacked by thugs.

    Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Segun Agbaje  said only the national body could give a directive on what to do concerning the election in the council.

    In the results released so far, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 19 Assembly seats. The All Progressives Congress (APC) got only five.

    PDP won in Owo Constituency I, Ose, Akure Constituency I, Akoko North West Constituency II, Akoko South East, Akoko North East, Idanre, Ifedore, Ondo West I and II, Ondo West, Odigbo I and II, Idanre, Akure North, Ese-Odo, and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo.

    APC won the Akure South Constituency II, Owo Constituency II, Akoko South West I and II, and Akoko North West Constituency I.

    A former PDP chieftain, who recently joined the APC, Chief Olusola Oke, yesterday praised INEC for declaring the election inconclusive.

    In a statement by his media assistant, Rotimi Ogunleye, Oke praised INEC for looking into the complaints and acting in the interest of justice and democracy.

    He said: “Our opinion is that the election ought to have been cancelled, instead of declaring it inconclusive.

    “The election was characterised by violence orchestrated and supervised by government agents.”

    There was outrage in Akure, the state capital, yesterday over the outcome of the Assembly election, which mostly favoured the PDP.

    Scores of people were seen discussing how poverty forced many voters to succumb to the paltry N1,000 per head being distributed in virtually all the polling units across the state.

    Observers said the distribution of money had started since last Wednesday, with residents allegedly thronging Akure daily to collect their own share of the commonwealth.

    It was also visible at every polling unit on Saturday how money ranging from N1,000 to N5,000 exchanged hands.

    The APC described the poll as a contrive fraud aimed at providing a soft landing for Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who has lost favour with the masses.

    In a statement in Akure by the Secretary of APC media committee, Charles Titiloye, the party noted that PDP deployed unconventional strategies to rig the election.

    It noted that the election was marred by electoral irregularities, swapping of ballot papers to disenfranchise APC supporters, threats and intimidation to APC supporters, open ballot box snatching by PDP agents and unprecedented monetary inducement of voters.

    “In Igbotako, Ijuodo and Odeaye ballot papers/electoral materials meant for other units were deployed to units in the area to ensure that the election did not start as scheduled.

    “The outcome of the election was a confirmation of our warning to INEC and security agents of the plan by PDP to rig the election and use all means to ensure victory for its candidates.”

  • Ondo REC: Card Readers won’t disappoint

    Ondo REC: Card Readers won’t disappoint

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) yesterday assured Nigerians that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) Card Readers will not disappoint Nigerians at the presidential elections.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, disclosed this at a stakeholders forum organised by the commission in the Central Senatorial District.

    At the event, the Card Readers were successfully test-run in the presence of the stakeholders in attendance.

    The REC said there is no going back in using three different colours coding of ballot boxes and papers for the March 28 elections.

    Agbaje explained that the three colours have been selected carefully to differentiate the ballot boxes to be used for the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives polls.

    He added that the red colour is for the presidential ballot box, black for the Senate, while green colour is for the House of Representatives box.

    He noted that wrongful placement of the ballox papers in any of the boxes would be voided adding that voters must be extra-ordinary careful while placing the ballot papers.

    “After you might have been accredited to vote, ensure you placed the right ballot paper in the proper box. If you fail to do this, the ballot paper would be counted as void,” he added.

    He also disclosed that the commission had distributed over 1.18 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), in Ondo State to registered voters in the state.

    Agbaje noted that the figure represented 74.8 % of the 1.49 million received from the commission headquarters for the registered voters in the state.

    “1, 118, 479 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, have been distributed as at Friday last week which represented 74.8 per cent out of 1, 494,169? cards sent to the state.

    “At least, about 375,690 PVC were yet to be collected at the commission’s office across the 18 local government areas of the state”, he said.

    Agbaje reiterated that the smartcard reader machines, SRM, device would be deployed for the general elections adding that the device have been test run and would work efficiently to even detect any invalid card.

    “The Smart Card Readers that would be deployed for the elections have been tested and I can assured you that there would not be any hancky-pancky during the polls. We shall be free and fair to all”.

    The REC, maintained that there is no going back in the use of the  PVCs, for the general elections, stressing that it would promote free, fair and credible elections.