INEC Explains Late Inclusion of SDP in Election Ballot

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) explained that the late inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the ballot for the upcoming election was a result of a court order and not an initiative by the Commission. Wilfred Ifogah, Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC, clarified on Channels Television’s Politics Today that the Commission complied with the court ruling to include the SDP.

He attributed the SDP's initial exclusion to internal party issues rather than any actions by INEC. Ifogah emphasized that INEC customized ballot papers and result sheets to include only parties cleared to participate in the election, aiming to minimize invalid votes and errors.

He noted that the court ruling was delivered on August 22, and INEC needed to obtain a certified true copy before proceeding with the necessary processes. This situation was similar to a previous case during the Ekiti election, where INEC had to adjust the ballot paper to accommodate additional parties.