…urges traditional rulers to prevail on politicians
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has appealed to traditional rulers in Osun State to use their influence to prevail on political actors and promote peace ahead of, during and after the August 15 governorship election.
Prof. Amupitan made this appeal on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, at his palace in Osogbo, where he also announced that the Commission would deploy its newly introduced downloadable and printable Permanent Voter Card (PVC) technology in the state for the first time.
According to him, the innovation is designed to ensure that eligible voters whose PVCs were stolen or snatched are not disenfranchised during the election.
The INEC Chairman stressed that traditional institutions remain critical stakeholders in sustaining peace and urged monarchs to intervene by engaging politicians across party lines to reduce the growing political tension in the state.
“You are the custodians of our heritage, and your voices carry great influence. Invite the principal political actors, speak to them and remind them that we are one people.
“Elections should not divide us. Kindly intervene in the interest of peace and the overall good of everyone,” Amupitan said.
Speaking on the Commission’s latest innovation, he explained that the stolen PVCs would be rendered useless because no voter would be allowed to cast a ballot without undergoing the prescribed accreditation process.
“For the PVCs that have been snatched, they will be of no value to those who stole them. We are introducing downloadable and printable PVCs for voters whose cards were stolen so that they will not be disenfranchised. From today, we are commencing the distribution of the downloadable PVCs,” he stated.
Amupitan assured residents that INEC had concluded extensive preparations for the election and was committed to conducting a peaceful, credible, transparent and timely governorship poll.
According to him, the success of any election is measured not only by the credibility of the outcome but also by the peaceful atmosphere under which it is conducted, the efficiency of logistics, prompt commencement of voting, and transparent result management.
“The election is successful if it is peaceful, the logistics are right, voting starts and ends on time, and the result management process is effective, efficient and transparent, with results announced promptly,” he said.
While acknowledging the heightened political tension in Osun State, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission was working closely with security agencies to guarantee adequate protection for voters, election officials and electoral materials.
He revealed that the Commission had been engaging the Nigeria Police Force, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and other security chiefs to ensure special security deployment across the state throughout the election period.
“Right from Abuja, we have been working with the police, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and other service chiefs to ensure special deployment for Osun State. Our goal is to ensure that the election is peaceful because we do not want violence,” Amupitan added.
