Sowunmi Urges Voter Participation as INEC Clears SDP for By-Elections

As the nation prepares for Saturday’s by-elections across 13 states, calls for greater voter participation and fresh directives from key institutions have taken center stage.

In Ogun State, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, appealed to residents to show greater commitment to the electoral process. Speaking at an event in Ifo, Sowunmi lamented the low turnout often recorded during elections, stressing that citizens could not continue to criticize government policies while neglecting their civic responsibility to vote.

“Everyone must be involved in choosing a leader. We cannot keep complaining about government when we fail to take part in the process” he said.

INEC Recognises SDP Candidates

In a separate development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Friday that candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) would now participate in the by-elections.

The decision followed a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the commission to include the party’s candidates in 12 states. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, explained that the SDP had earlier been excluded for failing to submit valid notices for its primaries, preventing INEC from monitoring the process as required by law.

Olumekun said, “In compliance with the judgment, the names of candidates submitted manually by the SDP have been accepted and published on our website. The party will participate in the by-elections”.

INEC, however, assured that the last-minute change would not affect the conduct of the elections.

Police Deploy Tactical Squads, Restrict Movement

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered massive security deployment to ensure hitch-free polls.

According to Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, senior officers, including Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police, have been assigned to oversee election security in the affected states. They will be supported by operatives of the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department and other tactical units.

The affected states include Anambra, Kano, Oyo, Taraba, Enugu, Adamawa, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Ogun, Zamfara, and Niger.

The IGP also banned state-backed security groups, including Amotekun, as well as private or quasi-security outfits, from involvement in election duties. Additionally, vehicular movement including waterways has been restricted in the election areas from midnight until 6 p.m. on Election Day, with exemptions only for INEC staff, accredited journalists, observers, emergency medical services and firefighters.