The PDP governorship candidate in Ondo expresses concerns over INEC’s impartiality ahead of the polls, urging transparency.
Ajayi Agboola, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ondo governorship election, has expressed criticism towards the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing their conduct of the polls as flawed.
Ajayi, after voting at Polling Unit 004 in Apoi Ward 2, Kiriboin within the Ese-Odo Local Government Area, expressed his dissatisfaction with the sluggish progress of the exercise. He alleged that this was a deliberate attempt to manipulate the process.
“The system has its flaws; things aren’t functioning properly,” he commented after casting his vote. “It took them over 10 minutes to process me, and I’m the PDP candidate here. We’re all witnessing this situation unfold together. Complaints are widespread,” he noted.
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The former deputy governor also expressed concerns regarding INEC’s ability to conduct credible elections.
He stated, “If INEC is unable to successfully organize an election in a single state, it indicates that we are heading towards chaos.”
Ajayi also claimed that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola, could not be neutral. He stated, “We have repeatedly expressed our lack of trust in Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola (REC). We believe she cannot act fairly.”
He called the election a “disgraceful exercise,” highlighting reports of vote-buying and issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“The integrity of the system has been compromised, and I’ve received numerous calls today. There are complaints about vote buying, and issues with the BVAS not functioning properly. This is a disgraceful situation, and I believe Nigerians should appeal to Prof Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the electoral commission. If he cannot fulfill his duties effectively, he ought to step down gracefully. His resignation would be appropriate under these circumstances as this election process is completely compromised,” he concluded.
