INEC urges Governor Seyi Makinde to stop spreading false information about the Ondo REC, clarifying that Mrs. Toyin Babalola is not from Ondo State.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to cease making unverified claims regarding the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Toyin Babalola.

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This caution follows an allegation made by the Governor during a campaign rally held by his party in Akure, Ondo State.

At the rally, Governor Makinde urged INEC’s chairman to remove Mrs. Babalola, claiming she was from Ondo State, an assertion that contradicts INEC’s policy of not deploying Resident Electoral Commissioners to their state of origin.

In response, INEC issued a statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, clarifying the situation:
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mrs. Babalola is not from Ondo State, in line with the Commission’s policy not to deploy a REC to his or her State of origin.”

The commission also recalled a similar incident in 2020, where Governor Makinde accused a senior INEC official of collaborating with a university Vice-Chancellor to undermine an election, an allegation that INEC confirmed was untrue.

INEC urged public figures, particularly those in high offices like Governor Makinde, to verify their claims before making public accusations.

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The electoral body stressed that unfounded allegations could erode public trust in the electoral process and urged caution in such matters.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.