Twenty three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara State are to be sanctioned for their alleged involvement in illegal voter registration in the State.
The Resident Electoral Commisioner in the State, Malam Garba Madami, announced this on Wednesday during a meeting with stakeholders on the 2023 general elections in Ilorin, the state capital.
“23 INEC staff involved in illegal registration and will be sanctioned,” Madami declared.
The INEC commisioner hailed all the 17 political parties in the State for ensuring peaceful campaigns so far, urging them to sustain the tempo.
“Therefore, let us campaign based on issues with decorum, non-violence, etc. The only organ or agencies that can cause violence are the political parties. Our election in 2019 was peaceful, because the political parties in Kwara chose not to use thugs to cause violence. Let us keep up the understanding, cooperation for a peaceful campaign and election,” Madami counseled.
Madami, who told the gathering that the amended Electoral Act has put in place measures to check rigging during the election, warned that, “if the votes cast is more than the accredited voters, the polling unit results will be cancelled.”
He added: “No more agreement between parties to share the remaining ballot papers that were not used. No more massive thumb printing and stuffing of ballot boxes. If you like go and steal ballot boxes, you are wasting your time and money. The people’s votes are counting now with the use of technology (BVAS) and votes will count in 2023.
“With the signing of the Electoral Law by President Muhammadu Buhari, votes now count and rigging is over for good and for real.”
The meeting was attended by the heads of all the security agencies and leaders of political parties in the State.
