INEC laments Rivers’ rerun violence, advocates security for Ekiti 2018

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lamented the level of violence in the Rivers State rerun elections and expressed the hope that Ekiti 2018 governorship election would not go the same way.

The Public Relations Officer of INEC in Ekiti State, Mr Taiwo Gbadegesin, stated this on Tuesday while reacting to the attacks suffered by about 25 members of staff of the commission in the Rivers State elections.

Gbadegesin lamented the attacks on some of the commission’s workers during the National and state assembly rerun in Etche Local Government Area of the Rivers State last weekend.

He said the commission was in good working relationship with all the security agencies, and expressed the hope that the 2018 governorship poll in Ekiti will be free of violence or bloodshed, considering the peaceful nature of the state’s politics.

The INEC spokesman said the electoral body won’t take any chances in spite of the robust relationship with the security agencies to ensuring that the lives of the electorate and staff are effectively shielded during the poll.

He pleaded with Ekiti electorate not to be disillusioned by the Rivers violence, saying such could create apathy and low turnout of voters that could mar the outcome of the election.

Gbadegesin said: “I am very sure that what happened in Rivers won’t happen in Ekiti. This state is naturally a peaceful state and we don’t envisage that such thing will happen here.

“Even without elections, we have been having very good working relationship with the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Department of the State Services and other relevant agencies.

“This shows the level of our preparedness ahead of the election. We are not taking any chances because the lives of our staff and that of the electorate are very paramount to us.

“We conducted the 2014 governorship elections and nobody was killed and we shall keep the spirit higher here in Ekiti by working with all the relevant stakeholders to make a huge success out of the forthcoming election.

“We know that the stakes are high, people are really interested and the level of involvement of all interested parties will be high, but we are confident that the election will be free, fair and credible.”

He charged the chieftains of the two main political parties in the state to educate their supporters against violence and on the need to be civil during any poll.