Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated that the electorate in Kogi State ultimately have the power to determine who would become the next governor of the state.
Yakubu said this when he received the Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Governorship election in Kogi State holds on Saturday.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to conspire with INEC and the police to rig the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a claim denied by the Presidency.
Yakubu said the commission would be in Kogi on Tuesday to assure everyone that there was nothing ”unsure” in what it was doing regarding the forthcoming election.
“The only commitment we have to this country is to guarantee free, fair and peaceful poll. The decision as to who becomes the governor of Kogi State or any state in this country ultimately rests with the people. INEC will continue to uphold the sanctity of the ballot,” he said.
The INEC chairman said although he and other members of the commission were sworn in a week ago, there was an existing system, which he intends to strengthen and deepen.
He added the meeting between the commission and the police was in furtherance of INEC’s commitment to free, fair and credible election, saying the management of the electoral process was not only that of INEC.
He said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss with those who were responsible for providing security to ensure free and fair election.
“In 2011, in response to the outbreak of violence after election, some time before and during elections, the commission established the Inter-Agency Consultative on Election Security, and this is at various levels.
“At the national level such as this, it is co-chaired by INEC Chairman and the representative of the National Security Adviser; at state level, it is co-chaired by the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the state Commissioner of Police. At the local government level, it is by the electoral officers and the division police officer. The purpose is to create an atmosphere for Nigerians to go and freely vote for the candidate of their choice without fear, intimidation and harassment,’’ Yakubu said.
Speaking earlier, IGP Arase said the police force was working with other security agencies to ensure that miscreants were not allowed to hijack the election in Kogi.
“Ours is to ensure we dominate the security, not to allow anybody to assault the electoral process, while we allow INEC to do its job,’’ Arase said.
-PT/NAN