By Omeiza Ajayi

A group of protesters under the aegis of Ondo Youth League, Action for Credible and Transparent Election on Wednesday returned to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, demanding a response or quick action on an earlier petition it had submitted to the electoral umpire the previous day.

The protesters had on Tuesday demanded the redeployment of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in Ondo state, Mrs Toyin Babalola on the grounds that she had spent 10 years of her life in the state and may not be impartial.

While the commission had dismissed the earlier claim made by the group, to the effect that the REC was from Ondo state, INEC however said it would look into the merits or otherwise of all the claims listed in the group’s petition.

The Ondo state Governorship Election is slated for Saturday, November 16, 2024.

The protesters were armed with placards with various inscription like: “INEC, let Ondo be the example of transparency needed to build public trust across Nigeria ; INEC, it is time to ensure fairness, redeploy Babalola; A credible election can mark a new chapter for INEC in Nigeria’s democratic journey; We don’t want a repeat of Edo fiasco,”among others.

Addressing the protesters on Wednesday, INEC Acting Director of Security, Ms. Ndidi Okafor, said the commission was yet to meet on the request for the redeployment of Babalola.

She said: “On behalf of the commission, I would like to say to you that the commission has acknowledged your request, and you were presented with a copy of that acknowledgement. But you know the commission will have to meet on your request and take a decision. It is not magical. The commission has to meet.

“So I ask you to please, wait for that response, for the commission to meet and consider your requests. But one more time, let me thank you for being responsible, for being very peaceful, for expressing your views orderly.”

However, the leader of the protesters, Mr. Ayo Adeyemi asked Okafor when INEC would respond to their demand and whether Babalola would be redeployed or not.

Adeyemi noted: “Our petition that we submitted to the leadership of INEC yesterday (Tuesday) on the issue of redeploying Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current REC of Ondo state, away from that state, and bring another person that is not from that state.

“We understand that there are administrative processes, because INEC is not a one man show.

We also know that when it becomes expedient for actions to be taken to be fast tracked, INEC has the capacity and capability to go over and beyond.

“The election that we are agitating for is just 16 days away. 16 days is too little time to be waiting for the commission to give us an answer. So we only ask in the interest of expediency, with the little time that we have at hand. And don’t let us forget that Ondo State is not just any state. It is a very important swing state.

“You can clearly see it in the way Ondo votes back home. Now voters are anxiously waiting, following up with our protest here, waiting to decide whether they are going to come out on election day to vote under a banner flown by INEC that is deemed to be credible, free and transparent, or they are going to gamble and take their chances against a banner flown by INEC that is seen as bias.”

Okafor said the commission would have to meet for a decision to be taken, adding that one man cannot take the decision for the commission.

She stated: “We want to tell the good people of Ondo State that their vote is their right, that they need to speak on election day peacefully with your Permanent Voter Cards. They must not fail to vote.

“So please, our message and the fact that you have also aided by answering that the commission is not a one-man commission, and they have processes and procedures and that they will have to meet. That’s what I just told you earlier. They will meet, take a look at your request, consider it, and then you can get a reply. It’s not going to be magical.”

The protesters have however insisted that they would continue to occupy the INEC headquarters until they get a response from the commission.