The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday organised a workshop to train political parties and their candidates in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.
The programme held at the NMA hall in Osogbo, was graced by dignitaries and members of political parties and some candidates.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, professor Abdulganiyu Raji, welcomed the political parties and their candidates to the occasion.
Raji explained that the essence of the programme is to provide the political parties with the equipments, prerequisite techniques and processes needed to track their finances, and also to submit the report in order to plan for a free and fair and inclusive election.
“The process of tracking political parties’ finances is not to witch-hunt political parties or candidates or to persecute everyone. It’s to ensure that parties play according to rules and do not exceed what the electoral act stipulates.”
The Osun INEC boss also spoke on the readiness and efforts of the electoral umpire to ensure the election is free, fair and credible.
“In the past, we have been operating an inclusive election process and intensifying efforts by involving the physical challenged citizens and providing materials such as tracker guide, visual impairment, magnifying glasses and language interpreters at each polling units”, he further explained.
Dr Ademola Bayonle, a gubernatorial candidate for Young Progressives Party (YPP), explained that the programme was a great revenue and capacity to increase finances and commended INEC for an innovative programme.
Mr Olowu Emmanuel, a candidate of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), said that the workshop is to check how the finances are being spent during the election, the programme is meant to track and investigate. How the finances are managed, checking the democracy and democratic process during the election, in order to also support other political parties with thier finances.
