Former Ekiti REC resumes in Ogun

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti State, Prof. Abdulganiyu Raji, on Thursday resumed in Ogun state barely three weeks to the commencement of the general elections.

Daily Trust reports that Raji resumed nearly four years after the late Chief Timothy Ibitoye’s tenure expired as REC in the state shortly after 2015 elections.

An indigene of Oyo State, the new REC told newsmen today that the electoral body is prepared for the task ahead in the state.

Raji warned that any politician who induces INEC officials for results manipulation would only amounts to waste of time, saying the electoral umpire’s guidelines have made fraud “difficult.”

He said “INEC’s operations now are very straightforward. We have our operations guidelines for electoral procedure. So, there is very little anybody can do to help anybody in another way other than what INEC has actually stipulated as the mode of operation. If anybody is trying to induce INEC staff, the person is just wasting his or her time. That’s very straightforward thing.

“We are going to accredit people who would vote. There is little I can do. If you are trying to induce INEC staff, you are wasting your time and efforts.

“What is important is to convince people to vote for you. Please, go and convince people to vote for you; that is what is important as far as electioneering process in Nigeria is concerned.

“I can’t tamper with the smart card reader. People have to be accredited to vote. It’s the number of people that are accredited at every polling unit that would determine the result we expect. If you give me the whole of this world, I can’t change that. Why don’t we be just Nigerians and friends rather than you wasting your time on me.”

He promised “to carry out necessary steps” to ensure that over 700,000 unclaimed Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) are collected before the election.