INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, Mr. Mutiu Agboke, has advised political parties not to relax, but to ‘start preparing for the 2023 general elections in earnest.’
He also added that the era of manipulating the results of elections in favour of any political party is over in the nation’s democracy.
Agboke, who stated this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan, said the votes of the electorate would always count in determining who win elections.
He described the last general elections in Oyo State as a successful exercise.
According to him, the outcome of the Saturday polls has proved that the Independent National Electoral Commission meant its word and would continue to improve on its existing achievements.
He said the use of Permanent Voter Cards remains the only power the electorate had to choose their leaders as witnessed in the recent general elections.
The REC urged Nigerians to continue to have trust and to believe in the activities of INEC, saying that the Commission had no sympathy for any of the political parties in the country.
The REC commended the people of Oyo State for the relative peace that characterised the conduct of the general elections.
He expressed satisfaction over the support the Commission received from Inter-Party Advisory Commission, Security agents, National Orientation Agency and media organisations that contributed to the success of the elections.
Agboke implored owners of the unclaimed PVCs to come forward and collect them, saying 2,023 PVCs were yet to be collected.
He further called on political parties not to relax but to start preparing for the 2023 general elections in earnest.