Demands firm commitment from stakeholders
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Adeniran Tella, has described the bye election into the Ekiti East State House of Assembly constituency 1 as jinxed.
While addressing the media recently, the REC said, “Without exaggerating, this Constituency 1 election appears to have been jinxed. On three occasions in the past, we have conducted this election. The first time was during the 2019 General Elections of 9th March, 2019 but it was eventually engulfed by violence which rendered it inconclusive in four Polling Units covering Wards 9 (Obadoore IV) and Ward 6 (Obadoore1) thus; –
Ward 9 Polling Unit 3 Aya Alaafe
Ward 9 Polling Unit 8 Odo Oro
Ward 9 Polling Unit 9 Odo-Ile
Ward 6 Polling Unit 3 Ekurugbe
“Few weeks later, precisely, on the 23rd of March, 2019, supplementary elections were conducted in the affected Polling Units and a winner eventually emerged. That was the second phase of the election in the constituency.
The third bye-election came into being consequent upon the demise of the Honourable member representing the same constituency as held on 20th March, 2021 after all necessary conditions had been fulfilled but was married by an unworthy violence again.”
Tella reassured the Ekiti electorate and other critical stakeholders that the Commission is determined to conduct a very free, fair, and credible election in Ekiti East House of Assembly Constituency 1 bye-election.
Tella said, “Firstly, let me quickly remind us that when we met here last March, we were full of optimism that we were going to get it right, with you joining hands with us. As an Electoral Management Body, we did everything the law has made provision for us to do diligently and left no stone unturned in our quest to ensure that we deliver free, fair, open and credible election to the residents of Ekiti East Local Government.
“Our jobs were even made easier considering the fact that we had election to conduct in just Five (5) Registration Areas (Wards) and thirty-seven (37) Polling Units. What’s more, the Commission headquarters gave us everything needed both morally and financially. Quite painfully, however, that was not to be.
“Midway into the election that started peacefully, some forces came in and disrupted the whole process. Lives were lost including that of a police woman and various degrees of life-threatening injuries sustained by poll officials including ad-hoc members of NYSC, INEC staff, and voters.
“We have to reiterate with great concern that each time we conducted it, we have had to contend with one issue or the other that would make nonsense of all efforts and resources put into it including human and material resources. We have to collectively say enough is enough. We cannot continue to lose life and inflict injuries on the poll officials including the security agencies.”
He added that, “There is no doubt that one of the basic responsibilities of government is to guarantee law and order and ensure public orderliness. In any INEC held elections, the role of security agencies as partners and guarantor of law and order without which elections cannot hold, has never been taken lightly. Little wonder that the Electoral Act 2010 as amended makes the presence of security agencies at the various stages of election a cornerstone of its activity.
“That said, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. The bestsecurity anywhere is one in which the people partner with the security agencies to ensure security of lives and property.
The people must therefore work closely with the security agencies to provide the much-needed information that will assist the security agencies to discharge their duties maximally in quickly arresting any forms of threat that may want to impact the electoral process before it happens.
I would urge all the electorates of the concerned area to cooperate fully with the commission, it is the fundamental right of every Nigerian to vote and be voted for, it will always be at the detriment of the constituency not having a representative to cater for their legislative needs.”
The REC pointed out what INEC’s expectations from the stakeholders if the Constituency 1 election must ever hold again saying that INEC has spent colossal amount of money in the last three times it had conducted this election. “In fact, the mood at the Commission now is that nothing short of expression of firm commitment by the stakeholders to give peace a chance and make themselves ready to cooperate with INEC including giving maximum support to the security agencies to be able to do their job would be acceptable.
“Candidly, a commitment to support and cooperate with INEC and partnering with the security agencies to maintain law and order cannot be seen to be too much demand INEC should ask from the stakeholders. However, the Commission remains resolute and totally committed to conducting free, fair, credible and acceptable elections based on its mandate and that informed its decisions to ensure all constituencies where elections are yet to be conducted to fill available vacancies are done and dusted ahead of 2023 General Elections.
“In essence, the Commission is not prepared to deny any constituency of its representation at whatever level.
Conclusively, the bitter truth is that the Commission cannot continue to be expending its financial worth in futility except the concerned stakeholders are ready to allow peace to reign to enable us midwife a peaceful bye-election in the place,” he concluded.
