March 18: INEC Ready To Conduct Election In Violence Areas – Agboke
Kazeem Badmus
THE Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State of Osun, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, has said that the commission was prepared to conduct state assembly elections in areas where violence was recorded during the presidential and national assembly elections.
Agboke made this known on Wednesday at the state headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abeere, during the distribution of sensitive materials to the local governments.
According to him, security agencies have assured of proper deployment of personnel to areas where violence occurred during the last elections.
“In Osun State, there is no gubernatorial election but notwithstanding, people will be electing House of Assembly members and that is why we have brought out the IE, ballot papers and results sheet. They are going to be batched into Local Governments. If you look at them, they are in 30 places. They are already customised which of course makes it easier to be deployed to various Local Governments.
“Where an election has been cancelled as a result of overvoting, we will not give any opportunity to anybody. What we are saying is that in those places, particularly, those areas where violence has become their middle name, the security has assured us that proper deployment will be made.
“We are going to secure all various levels of collation from the Ward to the Local Government and the State collation level. We will ensure that our armed security personnel are fully on the ground.
“For us in Osun State, it is going to be a sterling outing and I can assure you that the election will be one of the best in Nigeria.
