BREAKING: Tragedy as INEC REC Slumps, Dies After Abuja Meeting, Details Emerge
- INEC REC in Ogun state Niyi Ijalaye has reportedly slumped and died shortly after the meeting of the commission in Abuja on Monday evening, August 20
- Iyalaye died at his hotel in Abuja, where he had lodged to attend the INEC meeting ahead of the off-cycle election in Edo and Ondo
- Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, was said to have presided over the meeting ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle election at the commission's headquarters in Abuja
FCT, Abuja - Niyi Ijalaye, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ogun State, died after slumping at his hotel room in Abuja on Monday evening, August 20.
It was reported that the incident happened shortly after Ijalaye attended a crucial meeting at the INEC headquarters.
Source: Twitter
Yakubu holds meeting with INEC RECs
Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, presided over the meeting. The commission's meeting centred on the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ondo and Edo states. Yakubu also discussed the upcoming election into seven vacancies at the national and state assemblies.
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It was learnt that the late INEC REC was active during the meeting and was in good health before his sudden death on Monday evening.
INEC or his family have not officially announced his death, but a source within the commission confirmed the incident to TVC News.
What is INEC?
INEC is responsible for conducting the presidential, governorship, national, and state assembly elections in Nigeria.
Recently, there have been calls for the national assembly to lawfully empower the commission to conduct local government elections in Nigeria, following the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
Barrister Oladotun Hassan, the president of the Yoruba Council Worldwide, in an interview with Legit,ng, called on the Senate and House of Representatives to amend the law to accommodate the conduct of elections at the local government, which should be carried out by INEC.
Hassan said:
"I don’t think creating separate local government electoral arms is necessary. It is better for INEC to be in charge of all elections in Nigeria, the federal, state, and local government, as well as the councillorship. And that election must be run simultaneously in order not to waste ballot papers and duplicate tenure."
Election: INEC announces vacancies
Legit.ng earlier reported that INEC has announced vacancies for ad-hoc staff for the forthcoming governorship elections in Ondo and Edo states.
According to INEC, the openings available for ad-hoc staff are SPOs, POs, APOS, RATECHs and RAC managers.
The electoral commission then placed restrictions on candidates who were political party members, expressed a preference for any candidate in the election and did not stay in the selected states.
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Source: Legit.ng
