The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ondo State governorship election, Agboola Ajayi, has called for the resignation of the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, if he cannot conduct free and fair elections.

He also accused soldiers of intimidating voters by setting up checkpoints about 10 metres away from his polling unit.

The PDP candidate made this statement after casting his vote at Apoi 11, Unit 004 Kiribo. He claimed that field reports reaching him showed the election was a shambolic exercise.

He lamented that the election was marred by irregularities, based on reports from field agents.

He said, “The system is not perfect; things are not working, and it took more than 10 minutes before the BVAS could accredit me as the PDP candidate. There are lots of issues across the state.

“If INEC cannot successfully organise an election in just one state, then we are heading toward anarchy in Nigeria.

“I have been receiving reports from across the state, and it’s the same. Including me, I am a victim here in my unit. I want to say this is deliberate on the part of the REC and INEC. Don’t forget we have previously stated that we don’t trust Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the REC; she can’t be fair.”

“The system is compromised, and there are complaints everywhere in the state, including vote-buying and BVAS not working. Don’t forget the machine is a rigging tool for them. This is a very shameful exercise, and I think Nigerians should call on INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. If he can’t do the job, he should honourably resign because the system is totally compromised. This is sad.

“Under Professor Jega as INEC Chairman, our electoral process was improving toward international standards, but Professor Yakubu has set us back.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday said that it is ready for the governorship election in Ondo State on November 16.

INEC National Commissioner Supervising Ondo, Ogun and Osun States, Professor Kunle Ajayi, made the announcement on Channels Television’s Politics Today in Akure.

Ajayi told the Ondo electorate that INEC won’t disappoint them as they file out their numbers to elect a new governor.

“We have done our own work; we are proud of what we have done and we will not disappoint the people of Ondo State,” Ajayi said.

“I want to assure you that everything will go well. As of 3 pm, all the Registered Areas (RAs) had all their sensitive materials. The next thing is to move to the Polling Unit (PU). I toured some of the RAs this afternoon.”

The Guardian had previously reported that INEC on Thursday distributed sensitive materials to the 18 Local Government Area of Ondo State ahead of the Nov. 16 governorship election in the state.

Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, monitored the exercise at the Akure branch of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Babalola said that the early distribution of the sensitive materials was to show that the commission was ready for the election.

The REC said that the sensitive materials were being distributed to ensure that no ward or polling unit was omitted.

“We promise that the commission will be transparent in the conduct of the election. You can see that the distribution exercise is going on very smoothly.The farthest local governments have started moving to their locations. All the other local governments have received their materials; they are checking and loading the vehicles.” Babalola said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police Force has deployed approximately 34,000 operatives for the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 16, 2024, according to Abiodun Alabi, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Coordinating Election Security, who disclosed this to Channels Television on Friday.

Alabi said measures have been taken to avoid infiltration of thugs or unauthorised persons during the off-cycle poll, noting that all the 3,933 polling units of the state would be well covered, stressing that police operatives have been deployed across the wards and local government areas.

“By tomorrow, all the 3,933 polling units will be well covered,” he said. “We have about 34,000 police officers on the ground.”

Three gubernatorial candidates have withdrawn from the Saturday’s election, in Ondo State after endorsing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The candidates made the disclosure during a solidarity visit to Aiyedatiwa by Dr Ajibola Falaye, the candidate of the Accord Party, who spoke on behalf of the three parties on Thursday in Akure.

The other two are the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Mr Jenyo Ataunoko and the deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Olaide Rasheed Ibrahim.

The governorship candidate of the ADC Mr Adeyemi Nejo, had earlier declared support for Aiyedatiwa.

Falaye said their decisions to back the governor for Saturday’s election was based on observations of his longstanding commitment to public service, since his time as the deputy governor.

“We have been watching him, and his doors are always open to all. The state has been experiencing relative peace under his watch, which reflects his commitment to safeguarding the lives of our people.

“We see the infrastructural development that has taken place even within this short period. It is clear that the governor is actively working for the people.

“This Saturday, we will turn our commitment into votes. We will vote for continuity in Ondo State,” he said.

Responding, Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude for the endorsement, calling it a quality decision made out of goodwill by the candidates and their parties.

“I didn’t call for this, but I am grateful that my colleagues in the race have voluntarily identified with my mandate and are ready to mobilise their supporters to vote for the APC,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday announced the appointment of Daniel Bwala, the spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar campaign in 2023, as his special adviser on public communications and media.

The Special Adviser on Public Communications and Media, Bwala, is a lawyer and notable public affairs analyst.

Tinubu in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also approved the appointment of three others as directors-general of various agencies.

The new appointees are: Mr. Olawale Olopade as Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Abisoye Fagade as Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, and Dr. Adebowale Adedokun as Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement

Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.

He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.

The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.

Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.

Tinubu enjoined the newly appointed officers to discharge their duties with dedication, patriotism, and excellence.

Edo Governor-Elect, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, announced on Monday the appointment of Mr. Fred Odianosen Itua as his Chief Press Secretary.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the appointment,  the first of the incoming administration, would take effect on November 12, 2024, according to a statement signed by Okpebholo.

Itua is a distinguished journalist with a wealth of experience, having previously served as the Assistant Political Editor at The Sun Newspapers.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned opposition parties in Nigeria against getting too excited over the defeat of incumbent U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent U.S. presidential election, where former President Donald Trump secured a historic comeback victory.

APC insisted that President Bola Tinubu is on track for re-election in 2027, dismissing suggestions that the Nigerian electorate could replicate the U.S. trend of unseating an incumbent.

Trump, 78, was declared the 47th President of the United States on Wednesday after a surprise victory over Harris, becoming the oldest person to hold the office and launching a political comeback that reverberated around the world.

Reacting to the U.S. election, the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described it as a “true test of democracy.”

Ifoh said it was interesting to see how the American voting public ignored the incumbency factor, which is still a ‘big deal’ in African politics, particularly in Nigeria.

Similarly, Ladipo Johnson, spokesperson for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), also commented on the complex yet advanced nature of the U.S. electoral system.

Johnson questioned when Nigeria would end the era of tight-knit leaders using the power of incumbency and security apparatus to intimidate the opposition.

However, APC’s National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, dismissed comparisons between the two nations’ electoral systems.

Ibrahim warned opposition parties against drawing premature conclusions from the U.S. election results, saying the electoral processes between the two countries are different.

Ibrahim noted that the incumbency factor doesn’t always work where the people speak with one voice, as witnessed in the victory of former President Muhammadu Buhari over the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan, in 2015.

“With the way and manner this administration of APC is working assiduously, bringing in new reforms and changes that are painful initially, we will reap the gains and fruits in the long run,” The PUNCH quoted him as saying. “We expect to start seeing the fruits of these reforms right around the time of the election. That should be around 2026 and 2027. It is at that time people will start clapping for the party and the president.

“It will be almost impossible for someone to come from the outside, particularly an outsider that has failed the country before; an outsider that cannot contain its own crisis, to think of defeating the incumbent. It will be very difficult. The APC and the president are very much aware of this expectation and the shenanigans of the opposition.

“But it is not to say that the party and the president are sleeping. No, they are strategizing ahead. So, when we get to the bridge, we will see who has the strongest stride to cross it. And I assure you, the APC will not be found wanting. It will not be caught napping.”