INEC Must Deliver A Free And Fair Election In Ondo, Just Like Edo – IHRC

The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has come out to beg the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the forthcoming Ondo polls like the recently-concluded Edo gubernatorial poll.

IHRC Envoy in Nigeria, Dr. Kenneth Anozie revealed this via a recent statement in Enugu.

According to him, the Edo governorship poll was obviously free, fair, and credible, so INEC must strive to do the same or even better if Ondo is to record an identical success.

He then urged the relevant authorities, including political parties and their candidates to be very civil with their conduct during the voting exercise.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), set up in 1998, is the electoral body which oversees elections in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the first Nigerian Federal Electoral Commission was Chief Eyo Esua (1964–1966) in the First Republic. When General Olusegun Obasanjo prepared for a return to civilian power in the Second Republic, he established a new Federal Electoral Commission headed by Chief Michael Ani to supervise the 1979 elections.

Ani was succeeded by Justice Victor Ovie Whisky. During the Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha regimes, which attempted returns to democracy, the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria was headed by Professor Eme Awa (1987–1989), Professor Humphrey Nwosu (1989–1993), Professor Okon Uya and Chief Sumner Dagogo-Jack (1994–1998).

INEC was accused of widespread electoral irregularities in the 2019 presidential elections including cases of ballot paper unavailability, smart card readers malfunctioning and large cancellation of valid votes. The main opposition People’s Democratic Party and its presidential candidate challenged the results of the election in court.