Give us level playing field, youth leader urges INEC

Ahead of the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State, the National Youth Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give the political parties contesting the poll a level playing field.
He hailed the electoral body for conducting a free and fair poll on July 14 in Edo State and enjoined INEC to ensure that next Saturday’s poll becomes a benchmark for elections in the country.
Ebikibina, who spoke with The Nation in Akure, said the Ondo governorship poll would justify what Nigerians should expect in the 2015 general elections.
The ACN youth leader appealed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that the suspected electoral fraudsters allegedly caught with multiple voter cards in Ondo town are prosecuted.
He decried the attacks on the opposition parties, particularly the ACN, allegedly by the Labour Party (LP) thugs.
Ebikibina accused the security operatives of being biased, adding that they have been arresting ACN supporters wrongly while allowing the LP hoodlums to move freely.
He called for the transfer of security operative chiefs in the state, saying that was the only way to guarantee a free and fair poll.
He said: “Recently, there have been killings of ACN members because of the forthcoming election. These should have been treated with seriousness, but the security agencies handled the matter with levity.
“In our communiqué at the recent ACN Youths Annual Conference in Oshogbo, Osun State, we said killing is not part of politicking and does not in any way form the basis upon which an election is won.

“We urge the Federal Government to look into the matter and bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book. We condemn the response of the State Security Service (SSS) to the killings of our supporters in Ondo State. We ask for the removal of the Commissioner of Police and the Director of SSS.”