The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed confidence to conduct the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for November 16.
During a visit to the state headquarters of the commission in Akure on Monday, Yakubu stated that INEC had learned critical lessons from previous elections, particularly the Edo State governorship election.
Yakubu identified logistics and results management as two key challenges that INEC aimed to address.
He assured voters that polling units would open promptly on election day, and improvements in result management processes would be evident.
“We have learnt a lot of lessons not only from the last election but also from previous elections,” Yakubu stated.
“My assurance to voters in Ondo State is that they will see fast improvement in these two processes.”
He stated, “We’ve received encouraging reports from our state office in Akure, but we’ve also decided to conduct a readiness assessment in person.
“Our primary purpose here is to observe the ongoing activities and the commendable work accomplished by the state office. We plan to engage with various stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organizations, the media, and security agencies, as well as hold discussions with our staff to evaluate our readiness.
“We will be here for several days. One of the key activities we will be observing is the mock accreditation of voters, which is set to occur in 16 polling units across six local government areas within the three senatorial zones of the state.
“Additionally, we will convene with stakeholders on Thursday, and the following day, the National Peace Committee will invite all stakeholders to sign the national peace accord,” Yakubu added.