Ogun gets new REC, three weeks to elections

Members of Non-Competing Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Band during the Main Event of the 2017 Carnival Calabar in Cross River State Yesterday. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke 

FORMER Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Prof Abdulganiyu Raji has resumed   Ogun State Resident Electoral Commissioner.

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

   Raji, an indigene of Oyo State assumed office in the state ,barely three weeks to the commencement of the general elections. 

The new REC told newsmen 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 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 time. That’s very straightforward thing.

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“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. “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?”