Thursday, March 28, 2024

Osun 2022: No space for your agents in our buses, INEC tells parties, candidates

Says sensitive materials won’t pass through CBN

uba group

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO

The Independent National Electoral Commission has appealed to political parties and candidates contesting July 16 governorship election in Osun State to make transportation provisions for their agents deployed to polling units.

According to the commission, it would not accommodate the agents in the buses they would be hiring adding that the vehicles are meant for sensitive materials, presiding officers, ad-hoc staff and security agents deployed for the poll.

Speaking at a roundtable media executive meeting organised by the electoral umpire in Osogbo on Friday, INEC National Electoral Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the need for politicians to make separate transportation arrangements for their agents was to create convenience and smooth movement of sensitive materials to polling units.

Okoye said the commission had in the past struggled with political party agents who would take over available seats in the buses and depriving INEC officials, ad-hoc staff and security agents of space to sit.

He said the polling units agents would easily ride beside INEC’s hired vehicles when moving to polling units on election day.

“We want to ask you media men to help us beg political parties and politicians to cooperate with us. They should make transportation arrangements for their party agents. Those buses that we hire are for presiding officers and security agents to polling units.

“Our experience is that the party agents will balance inside buses and INEC presiding officers and sensitive materials won’t have space in the vehicle. In one election I covered, it took teargas and struggle for me to ensure they (polling units agents) allowed INEC agents to have space in the bus. We don’t want such experience this time, so, they should provide their transportation and can ride beside our hired buses,” Okoye appealed.

He also enjoined political parties to deploy approved accreditation tags of INEC to their agents in order to prevent commotion at polling units.
“Help us beg political parties to only deploy approved accreditation tags of INEC to their agents in order to prevent commotion at polling units,” he stated.

The Electoral Commissioner assured the people of the state of the commission’s commitment to free, fair and inclusive poll, adding that sensitive materials would not pass through the Central Bank of Nigeria but would be directly deployed to the INEC headquarters in Osun through the air.

He said, “I want to assure the people of Osun that this commission will conduct free, fair and inclusive election. We have the courage to do what is right. Our sensitive materials won’t pass through the central bank. It will be flown in by the Air Force directlty to the INEC office in Osogbo.”

Okoye urged media practitioners to fact check news before publishing before, during and after election in the state adding that they should consider the interest of the nation in the discharge of their ethical duties.

“Media is critical to electioneering processes. Media will play critical and evolving role in Osun election. We must handle information well in order not heighten security challenge. Hold the balance, do proper investigation, use your sense of nationality in processing information that may get to you in this period. Fact check information before publishing. Don’t break news that will lead to breaking law and order. Let the BB news you dish out edify national unity and stability of the country,” he said.

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