New voters won’t participate in Ondo guber poll –INEC

Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it will not register new voters ahead of the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rufus Akeju, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, yesterday.

Akeju said there won’t be continuous voters registration (CVR) exercise and distribution of permanent voters card (PVCs) in the state before the governorship poll.

He said only accredited voters, who participated in previous elections, would be allowed to vote.

“It is important for me to inform you that the commission has suspended the CVR exercise and the implication is that, the window of opportunity for new voters to register, distribution of PVCs, transfer of registration and replacement of lost or defaced PVCs has been shut for the meantime due to COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

He assured the people that INEC would organise a free, fair and credible governorship election in October.

Akeju, therefore, enjoined politicians and security agencies to support INEC in its bid to organise a credible poll.

Meanwhile, an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the state governorship election, Olayinde Adelami, has warned that only direct mode can guarantee the integrity of the party primary billed for July 20.

Speaking after submitting his completed expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s secretariat, yesterday, the aspirant said he has no doubt of scaling through the screening.

“The popular opinion is a direct primary, I normally refer to it as election, nobody will be disenchanted, everybody will be given opportunity to express themselves.

“I am here today to submit my contest form and the process has been smooth, transparent, I went through the form and there is no any negative comment. Like I have been saying, my entry into contest is for real and the mission is defined to come and rescue Ondo State from maladministration. You all know that the party is disenchanted.

“There are a lot of aggrieved members of APC, about of 80 percent of them. My mission is to build the party, maintain party cohesion and is what I know how to do best. I have managed over the years human resources and financial resources and coming to Ondo State is not new. I am coming to do what I know how to do best,” he said.