The Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Segun Agbaje, has stated his readiness to sue the factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ondo State governorship election on November 26, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, for defamation.
Agbaje, who spoke on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the stakeholders' meeting with the leaders of the political parties participating in the election, said he was set to file a court case against lbrahim for assassinating his character.
lbrahim had alleged that an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission demanded $1m from him as bribe to accept some court documents from him.
The businessman also accused the REC of proposing a meeting with him in London to discuss the Ondo election.
The REC stated, "I intend to sue him (Ibrahim ) for defamation but when our national headquarters has a step in that direction, I stepped down my action. INEC will not do anything that will reduce the credibility it has built through the years."
Agbaje, however, declared that nothing would stop the commission from conducting a free and fair election in Ondo State on November, 26, adding that he would not allow the allegation against him by Ibrahim to distract him from performing his lawful duties.
The REC stated that the commission had no anointed candidate and would be fair to all political parties that would participate in the election.
He alleged that some persons were planning to clone some Permanent Voter Cards in order to rig the election, warning that such an act would attract severe punishment.
"We hear people are cloning cards to cheat during the election. Cloned cards will not work. The card reader will detect the cloned cards.
"Protect your cards, don't sell them, it is a criminal offence. There will be enough card readers so that if any malfunctions, it will be immediately replaced," he said.
The INEC boss in Ondo State urged the electorate to approach the election in a peaceful manner, advising them to shun all acts that could violate electoral laws during the election.
He said, "The commission has a reliable and comprehensive register of voters for the conduct of the Ondo State governorship election by ensuring that those eligible to vote are given the opportunity to register during the last Continuous Voter Registration held in June this year in furtherance of the previous registration in 2014 and 2015."
