We will soon release dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship elections —INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that it would soon unveil dates for the governorship elections, scheduled to take place in 2018 in Ekiti and Osun states.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC national chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi gave the assurance, on Friday, in a telephone interview with Saturday Tribune.

Saturday Tribune checks revealed that INEC national commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, at a media briefing last February disclosed that the Anambra governorship election would hold on November 18, 2017.

Soyebi, who declined comments on conduct of senatorial elections in Anambra State, was equally silent on dates for Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections, raising the anxiety of political parties and other stakeholders in the affected states.

But speaking with Saturday Tribune, Oyekanmi said the commission would soon douse the tension by formally unveiling the dates.

“We fixed dates for Anambra governorship election. The timetable for Ekiti and Osun will soon be released. In other words, it will be announced in due course.’’

The spokesperson for INEC chairman further attributed the inaction on the Anambra senatorial election to the subsisting litigations instituted by political parties and their candidates.

“The major problem in Anambra is that there are so many litigations. So, the litigations are a barrier to organising the election.

“INEC is very keen because we know that Anambra has no full representation in the Senate. But we cannot go over judicial process, because whatever we do can be nullified through judicial pronouncement. INEC is willing to conduct election, whether governorship or senatorial, but it must be in accordance with due process”, he said.