The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on political parties in Osun State to promptly notify the commission of any concerns or irregularities observed during the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mutiu Agboke, said the move would enable the commission to take appropriate action where necessary.
Agboke spoke with journalists on Monday during an inspection tour of registration centres across the state. He led a team of INEC officials to assess the conduct of the exercise and engage with party representatives at the various locations visited.
The monitoring exercise covered centres such as Ilare Methodist Primary School in Ward 7, Obokun Local Government Area; Saint Andrew Primary School in Ada 1 Ward 7, Boripe Local Government Area; and Holy Michael Primary School in Olonde, Ikirun, Ward 8, Ifelodun Local Government Area.
He explained that the visit was designed to confirm that the registration process was orderly and transparent. He added that the commission needed direct feedback from its staff and party agents involved in the exercise.
“Many people are not aware that the registration exercise has been moved to the Registration Area level, and we must monitor what our staff are doing there,” he said.
Agboke noted that it was important for the commission to observe activities on the ground rather than rely solely on reports.
“There may be issues that we are not aware of and that may not be brought to my attention. That is why we decided not to remain in the office but to come to the field and hear directly from the party agents.
“When we come out like this, they will see that we are following up on what our staff are doing. The essence is simply monitoring, nothing more, nothing less,” he stated.
On political campaigns, the REC described them as internal matters of the parties. He, however, said INEC would continue to keep track of developments to ensure compliance with electoral rules.
“Campaigns are internal arrangements of the political parties. We may monitor them, but for now there has not been any formal invitation to us. However, we are tracking the activities of the parties and will carry out oversight where necessary,” he said.
Agboke also addressed the timeline for the voter registration exercise. He disclosed that the process is expected to continue until close to the election period, after which it will be paused to allow for the production of Permanent Voter Cards.
“The totality of the exercise may run until around August, but before the election in Osun the registration will stop so that all cards can be printed and distributed to voters,” he explained.
At the centres visited, representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party were present. Security personnel were also on ground to maintain order throughout the exercise.
