The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has acknowledged that the commission made mistakes during the Edo State governorship election.
He assured Nigerians that such errors would not recur in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election set for November 16.
Speaking during a visit to the INEC state headquarters in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Monday, Prof. Yakubu emphasized the lessons learned from both the recent Edo election and previous polls.
He identified logistics and result management as the primary challenges faced during the elections.
“We have learned a lot of lessons not only from the last election but also from previous elections,” he stated, noting the critical need for improved logistics to ensure polling units open promptly on election day and to enhance the management of election results.
For voters in Ondo State, the INEC chairman promised noticeable improvements in these areas. “My assurance to voters in Ondo State is that they are going to see fast improvement in these two processes,” he added.
In the September Edo State election, Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who received 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, who came in third with 22,763 votes.
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However, the results were contested by the PDP and Labour Party due to alleged discrepancies in the electoral process.
Prof. Yakubu explained that his visit to Ondo State was part of a broader effort to assess INEC’s preparedness for the upcoming election.
“We have received positive reports from our state office in Akure,” he said, adding, “but we decided also to come for readiness assessment.
So, we are here basically to look at what is happening and the good work that the state office has done.”
During his visit, Yakubu met with key stakeholders, including political parties, civil society groups, the media, and security agencies, to ensure a well-prepared electoral process for Ondo.