INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed to use the Osun State governorship election to send a strong message to vote buyers and sellers ahead of the general elections coming up in 2019.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Olusegun Agbaje, made the promise in Osogbo at a sensitisation forum for media executives and reporters ahead of the Osun State governorship poll on Wednesday.
The REC’s speech was read at the forum by the Director of Voter Education, Venerable Stephen Ojewande.
He insisted that the commission would not tolerate electoral fraud in any form while assuring the electorate that the electoral umpire would give all the 48 political parties and candidates contesting the poll a level playing ground.
He said, “The Osun State governorship election must be used to send a very strong message to vote buyers and sellers as well as other perpetrators of criminal activities during elections.”
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the media are critical stakeholders with the INEC, saying journalists were key to the success of any election.
Oyekanmi also warned that any INEC official caught engaged in any fraudulent act would be punished As stated by the law.