Ondo guber poll: INEC pledges neutrality

• Protesters seek REC’s redeployment
• PDP’s candidate, Ajayi, vows to protect community from incessant sea incursion
• Ese-Odo communities assure Ajayi of their support
• YIAGA Africa to monitor election with 324 observers
• Says cutting-edge methods will be deployed for poll

Aggrieved youths, yesterday, stormed the Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Maitama, Abuja, demanding the removal of the Ondo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Oluwatoyin Babalola, over alleged fraternity with the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.

The protesters, under the auspices of Ondo Youth League, Action for Credible and Transparent Election, maintained that the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the state must be coordinated by persons whose views and opinions are consistent and not biased.

One of the protesters, Ayodeji Adeyemi, who spoke on behalf of others, insisted that Babalola’s alleged fraternity with the ruling party in Ondo State is an impediment and a threat to democracy and other political parties in the election.

But responding, INEC National Commissioner, Abubakar Modibbo Alkali, said the commission would look at the request but noted that INEC is neutral and has no candidate in the forthcoming election.

Alkali maintained that the Commission operates based on rules and regulations in line with the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship elections, Agboola Ajayi, has assured that if elected, the incessant sea incursion ravaging Ayetoro community will be permanently tackled.

He stated this while on a campaign tour of communities in Ese-Odo Local Council, emphasising that he is prepared and equipped to lead the state.

Ajayi, while speaking at the palace of Igbinbou of Ajapa Kingdom, Godwin Aboyewa, said: “If we get to the office by next year, we would chase the sea away from Ayetoro community by at least two kilometres. It is not going to be by magic but it is something we are prepared to do.”

On his part, the monarch, who pleaded with Ajayi to rescue the neighbouring community, said that the sea incursion had been threatening the continuous existence of the ancient town, saying that if the Ayetoro community is not saved, Ajapa kingdom might be at risk of the rapacious effect of its extinction.

In the meantime, the Youth Initiative for Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa has stated that no fewer than 324 election observers would be deployed across the 18 local councils of Ondo State to monitor the elections.

Yiaga Africa also revealed that its team would use an advanced election-day observation methodology called the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVI) for the election-day observation.

Yiaga Programme Manager, Paul James, who gave the promise while addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital, said that 300 WTV polling unit observers would be deployed to observe the accreditation, voting, and counting processes on election day.