By Our Reporter
On Tuesday, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), observed the commission’s mock accreditation exercise in Benin City, Edo State, in preparation for the governorship election scheduled for September 21.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the mock accreditation was conducted at two polling units in Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas.
Following the exercise and an inspection of INEC’s local government offices, Yakubu explained that the mock accreditation was designed to test the integrity of the electoral systems before the election.
“This visit to Edo is part of our routine assessment before major off-cycle elections,” Yakubu said. “We’ve visited local government areas including Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, and Egor to evaluate preparations, materials received, and readiness for the upcoming election.”
He noted that the mock accreditation, which tested both voter accreditation and results uploading, had been successful, affirming INEC’s readiness for the election. Yakubu assured the public of a free, fair, and credible election, emphasizing that INEC operates independently of political parties.
“The responsibility of selecting the next governor of Edo rests solely with its voters,” he said. “We urge all registered voters to participate and vote according to their preference. INEC will safeguard the integrity of the process and respect the electorate’s choice.”
Yakubu expressed satisfaction with the preparation levels in the local government offices visited and planned to meet with electoral officers from all 18 local government areas to address any concerns before the election.
He also called on all stakeholders, including security agencies, political parties, candidates, observers, and the media, to cooperate with INEC, highlighting that elections are a collaborative effort.
Regarding equipment, Yakubu assured that there were sufficient backup Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the election. “The BVAS machines used for the mock exercise will not be the ones used on election day. We have allocated different machines for the actual election and training.”
The chairman was accompanied by Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, and Prof. Rhoda Gamus, National INEC Commissioner for Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa.