Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has condemned the shootings that characterised the commission’s Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, exercise at Oredo Ward 4 and other centres in Edo State.
Yakubu, who expressed displeasure at a meeting with the leadership of the various political parties and other security agencies in the state at the Edo State headquarters of the commission, said such shootings were uncalled for, noting that only the people that have the right to decide who govern them and that their rights must be well protected.
The INEC boss, who recalled his experiences in the conducts of two governorship elections in the state in 2016 and 2020 and how they were postponed due to violence, said the forthcoming governorship election in Edo has earlier started on good note, but wondered why the reported pockets of crises at this point in time.
He assured people of the state that the commission is poised to conduct free, fair and credible election in the state.
He also said that the commission is going to rely on resources from the neighbouring states to make up for the facilities that were destroyed by the recent flood that submerged its building in the state.
Speaking also, the Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, should carry out his investigation and bring those who went about shooting at the various CVR centres to book, as that is the only way to nip such occurrence in its bud, adding that failure to do so now, the possibility of free, fair and credible election in the state is very slim.
Aziegbemi also called on INEC to extend the time for the CVR exercise in the state to cover up for the number of days the machines suffered some technical hitches.
For his part, state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Jarrett Tenebe commended the INEC for their job well done in the state, but alleged that the places where the shootings were recorded were the strongholds of the ruling party moreso, that the people allowed to bear arms in the state are the local vigilante who are recognised by the state government.
He, however, appealed to those concerned to look into the matter and know where to lay their blames.
Also speaking, CP Adegboye said the police and its sister agencies are ready to provide a level playing ground for all the political parties in the state, therefore, the parties involved must play the game according to its rules.
He said the police will not spare anyone bearing arms, stressing that anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly.
Adegboye added that political parties should make the job of policing in the forthcoming governorship election easy for them be playing the game according to its lay down rules just as he said that they are not happy when some of the political parties are saying that they have been planted in by some individuals or political parties.
Earlier, the Edo State Resident Electoral Commission, REC, Dr Anugbum Onuoha said the INEC chairman is in the state to have a first-hand information from the leadership of various political parties in the state.
