In response to a call from some youths in Ondo State for the redeployment of Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola ahead of the November 16 governorship election, Babalola has refuted the allegations against her as unfounded.
She emphasized that she has no preferred candidate in the upcoming election and denied ever holding secret meetings with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa or the leadership of the APC.
On Wednesday, members of the Ondo State Youth Vanguard staged a protest at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the REC of having ties to the APC and of meeting secretly with Aiyedatiwa in preparation for the election.
While addressing the allegations detailed in a petition submitted to the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, by the protesting youths, Babalola insisted that her interactions have been inclusive of all political parties.
She said, “It is not true; I didn’t hold any clandestine meeting with the governor or any member of any political party.
READ ALSO: Ondo 2024: Less than 7 Months to Election, Ondo Youths Protest, Demand Removal of REC Ahead of Poll
“In INEC, we relate with all political parties; I have been operating open door policies to all, and I don’t have any preferred candidate for the election. I am not a member of any political party.
“In this election, we will ensure every vote counts, and I promise, there won’t be any form of bias; the election will be free, fair, and credible.”
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