Audit 2023 election before 2027 polls, Ondo PDP candidate urges INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency in Ondo State, Babatunde Faro, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to audit the 2023 election and address reported failures ahead of the 2027 general election.

Faro made the call while speaking with journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday, saying INEC needed to improve its performance and ensure that voters’ choices were respected.

He cited problems with the commission’s electronic results viewing portal, IReV, and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during the 2023 general election.‎

“We don’t pray for what happened during the last presidential election to happen. When IREV stopped working, BVAS was not working, and we had a lot of chaos.

‎“I hope by now INEC shall have done an audit of the last election and corrected every error that we noticed. We might not be able to have a 100 per cent perfect election, but if we can have something in the range of 95, we’ll have said we’ve done well,” he said.

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‎The PDP candidate also urged INEC to comply with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act on the publication of the electronic register of voters, expressing hope that outstanding issues would be addressed before the next general election.

Speaking on his plans for the constituency, Faro promised open, transparent and accountable representation if elected to the House of Representatives.

He said his priorities would include empowering youths and women, providing a platform for constituents to express their concerns and attracting federal government projects and infrastructure to Akure North and Akure South.

“That is what Akure will get: open, transparent, accessible representation at the National Assembly if I’m elected,” he said.

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