INEC Promises Credible FCT, Osun Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it would  ensure that votes count in the forthcoming February Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council and August Osun governorship elections.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for Osun, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, and his counterpart in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Aminu Idris, gave the commitment at the commission’s 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat.

The event was organised for INEC newly appointed National Chairman, Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the event, Agboke assured residents of Osun of strict adherence to the rule of law to ensure transparent and credible polls.

“The determination of INEC in the coming election is to ensure that people’s votes count.

“The chairman was clear about the rule of law and people’s votes. In our state, there is not going to be any exception.

“We are going to do our best. We are going to ensure that people follow the process and their votes count,” Agboke said.

According to him, the commission is prepared to reaffirm people’s confidence in INEC, having taken lessons from the recently conducted Anambra governorship election.

He said the state would also take lessons from the February FCT Area Council polls and the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election.

Agboke said that the engagement and re-engagement of stakeholders remained vital, adding that the commission would not stop enlightening stakeholders on the need for violence-free elections.

“And we have been doing it in Osun; we organise stakeholders’ engagement quarterly.

“We carry the message to them. They understand what we are doing. That is why Osun didn’t record any issue after party primaries conducted recently; no issue came out of it.

“The stakeholders listened to what we told them, and the atmosphere was very peaceful,” he said.

Agboke, however, listed vote-buying and violence as the greatest challenges facing elections, calling on all stakeholders to join hands to address them.

He urged political parties and their spokespersons to talk more vigorously about voter apathy and engage more with the electorate.

He said that PVCs of those who registered during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), as well as old uncollected PVCs, would be available for collection from January 15.

On expectations, Idris said that INEC remained optimistic that voters would troop out en masse to exercise their franchise at the polls.

NAN reports that the event was attended by  senior officials from across the 36 states and the FCT. (NAN)