The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC), chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Sam Olumekun, has disclosed that the commission was ready for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, to be contested by candidates of 16 political parties.

Olumekun, a national commissioner of INEC, who spoke on Friday, August 23, in Benin at a media engagement, was represented by the chief press secretary to the chairman of the commission, Rotimi Oyekanmi.

He said: “INEC is committed to conducting free, fair, and credible governorship election in Edo State. We rely on your (journalists’) partnership to achieve this goal. Your role is not only to report events, but also to hold all stakeholders, including INEC, accountable, and ensure that the electoral process remains transparent and unbiased.

“As we move forward, let us remember the importance of accuracy, fairness, and responsibility in our coverage. Together, we can uphold the democratic principles that are fundamental to our nation’s progress and prosperity.

“Thank you for your dedication to ethical journalism and commitment to serving the public interest. Let us work hand in hand to make the Edo State governorship election a shining example of democracy in action. I look forward to our continued collaboration,” he addeds.

The chairman of IVEC in INEC also stated that in an era of misinformation and fake news, journalists’ role as gatekeepers of factual information was critical.

He said: “It is through your (journalists’) dedication to truth and accuracy that voters are protected from misleading narratives that could compromise the integrity of the elections.

“We commenced distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) on August 22, 2024, at all the 192 wards across Edo State. The collection is strictly in person and not by proxy. The exercise will go on till September 8, 2024, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, including the weekends.

“We will distribute at the ward level till August 26, 2024, after that, the collection will continue in our 18 Local Government Area offices across Edo State from August 28, 2024, to September 8, 2024,” he added.

Olumekun also stated that INEC had developed a register containing among other information, the names and photographs of the voters to ease the collection of their PVCs, while the register had also been uploaded to our website to facilitate easy identification and collection of the cards.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Edo, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, who was represented by the Administrative Secretary, Emmanuel Ogbodu, a lawyer, while earlier speaking, stated that the electoral commission and the media needed to be on the same page, to ensure a successful governorship election in Edo on September 21.

Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo state council, Festus Alenkhe, in his remarks, stressed that the media must hold INEC accountable, to conduct a peaceful, free, and fair governorship poll in Edo, to elect a credible politician that would succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki on November 12 this year. (The Nation)

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