In Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stepped up its engagement with key stakeholders in preparation for the 2027 general elections. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Olaleke Agboke, led a series of meetings at the INEC Local Government Offices in Akure South and Akure North councils on Thursday.
The focus of the engagement was to strengthen collaboration for a peaceful, credible and inclusive electoral process. “The Commission is committed to working closely with stakeholders to ensure that preparations for the 2027 elections are effectively coordinated across the state,” Agboke said.
During the meetings, Agboke urged stakeholders to work in synergy with INEC to promote issue‑based campaigns and to encourage compliance with electoral laws before, during and after the elections. He also called on political actors and other stakeholders to discourage vote buying, political violence and other practices capable of undermining the electoral process.
As part of the outreach, Agboke and his entourage paid courtesy visits to the palaces of the Ogbolu of Ita‑Ogbolu, HRM Oba Idowu Faborode, and the Okiti of Iju, HRM Oba Amos Adelakun Farukanmi. At the palaces, the REC appealed to the traditional rulers to use their influence to encourage their subjects to participate actively in the electoral process and to conduct themselves with decorum and adherence to extant electoral laws.
The stakeholder meetings brought together a diverse group of participants, including members of the Inter‑Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the local government level, representatives of political parties, religious leaders, members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), community youths, and serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
These discussions provided an opportunity for stakeholders to outline their roles in supporting a peaceful electoral environment and to strengthen cooperation with the electoral commission ahead of the 2027 elections. The engagement underscores INEC’s commitment to ensuring that the upcoming elections are conducted in a coordinated, transparent and inclusive manner across Ondo State.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
