The chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has assured the people of Kogi state that the November 16 governorship election will not be inconclusive.
Speaking in Lokoja Thursday during the INEC stakeholders’ meeting, the chairman said the commission would not want to be subjected to the rigours of inconclusive election, saying it would prefer to conduct the election devoid of such encumbrance.
He said the commission is not interested in any political party, stressing that its interest and focus remains to conduct free, fair credible and conclusive election.
The chairman stated this while warning all the participating political parties in the election to shun whatever form of violence that could impede the integrity of the governorship poll.
“The election is 36 days from now and two major elections will be conducted simultaneously on the 16th of November that is Kogi and Bayelsa state, respectively.
“The elections are major election for the commission, Nigeria and everybody. The first after general election and people are interested in this election as people will want to know what was going on”, he said.
According to him, the meeting was conveyed with stakeholders to show that the commission is ready for the election and it is our hope to deliver fair, transparent, credible and conclusive election in Kogi state
He said that campaign has commenced as he warned against violence and hate speech before and during election.
Also speaking at the meeting, the governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, said he would make sure that life and property are protected in line with the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution.
He said violence in Kogi state as reported in some section of media was an exaggeration and therefore does not reflect true happening in the state.
“My ambition for second term will not be by through violence. I can assure that they was we conducted the APC primary will also be same during the election.
“The incident of violence you heard during the last election was not perpetuated by APC because we don’t believe in violence and so my supporters and my party APC will never be part of any political violence.
“Whoever gets involved in any political violence such person will not be protected but rather such person will face the law accordingly,” he warned.
Also speaking, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Engr Musa Wada assured the commission of free election violence adding that the security agencies should conduct stop and search as well as adhering to no movement during election.
