No perfect election anywhere – Oyo REC

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Oyo State, Adeniran Tella, has said that no election anywhere in the world is completely perfect, urging voters to safeguard their Permanent Voter Cards and avoid selling them to politicians.

He stated this while appearing on a monthly programme of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State in Ibadan on Sunday, where he spoke on voter registration, election logistics and electoral offences.

Tella commended residents of the state for the increasing turnout in the ongoing PVC registration exercise, noting that more citizens were showing interest in participating in the democratic process.

The REC said, “I appreciate the people of this state for coming out to register. The number of people registering now has increased compared to what we had previously.”

He urged those who were yet to register to take advantage of the exercise while advising registered voters to protect their cards.

“We want to appeal to those who have not registered to come forward and register. Those who already have their PVCs should keep them safe and must not sell them.”

Tella said the commission had been collaborating with the National Orientation Agency to sensitise the public on civic responsibility and the importance of responsible participation in elections.

On complaints about the late arrival of electoral officials during elections, the REC said the commission had continued to improve its operations by learning from previous electoral exercises.

“We conducted a by-election in Ibadan North in August 2025, and we adjusted many of the lessons we learnt from the 2019 and 2023 elections.

“There is no election anywhere that is perfect. However, we continue to improve and correct our shortcomings each time.

He explained that the commission works with several stakeholders during elections, including members of the National Youth Service Corps and transport unions, to ensure smooth operations.

“We make use of corps members, transporters and other stakeholders. We hold meetings with them ahead of elections and they have been very supportive,” he stated.

Culled from vanguard