Dare Babalola
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, has promised a peaceful, transparent, and credible Anambra governorship election scheduled for Saturday in the state.
Amupitan made this promise on Monday at the ongoing signing of the Peace Accord, convened by the National Peace Committee (NPC) led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Amupitan urged all stakeholders to work together in support of a seamless process, cautioning against any attempt by “vested interests” to discredit the electoral process.
He said that INEC remains focused and undeterred in discharging its constitutional mandate.
Amupitan praised the NPC for its “unwavering commitment to fostering peaceful elections in Nigeria,” noting that the devolution of the Peace Accord to off-cycle governorship elections has been a critical factor in reducing electoral tensions and violence.
“After witnessing the success of the Peace Accord at the national level, the NPC graciously agreed, five years ago, to our request to devolve its signing. This became necessary given the tensions and violence that have accompanied some past elections,” the INEC Chairman stated.
Amupitan said that all election materials must arrive at the polling units by 7:00 a.m., and the election must commence at 8:30 a.m. without delay.
He added that collation must take place in the presence of party agents, and collated results must align precisely with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System records.
Amupitan said that strong security arrangements had been instituted to safeguard personnel, voters, and materials throughout the process.
He expressed INEC’s operational capacity, vigilance, and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process during the election.
