The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties in Osun State to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act and other guidelines ahead of the forthcoming Governorship election.
Oluwatoyin Babalola, newly-deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the State, gave the warning during a courtesy visit to the Osun State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Tuesday.
Babalola stressed that INEC, as a regulatory body, would not compromise its standards to favour any political party, insisting that all stakeholders must operate within the ambit of the law.
According to her, “As regulators, we ensure that political parties comply with the provisions of the law. INEC does not break the rule to satisfy a particular political party, the provisions of the law apply to all, not to one. So if you find any political party that is not doing the right thing, they would face the cause of the law.”
She reiterated that INEC’s role is to provide a level playing field for all stakeholders, including political parties, while ensuring that the right procedures are followed at every stage of the electoral process.
The Osun REC assured that INEC remains firmly committed to conducting a peaceful, credible and integrity-driven election in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as its guidelines and regulations.
She commended journalists in the State for their professionalism in the dissemination of electoral information.
Babalola urged journalists to deploy their professional expertise and platforms to combat the growing menace of misinformation, disinformation and fake news, which she said pose serious threats to electoral integrity and public confidence.
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