The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said the commission is ready for the September 19 governorship election.

He spoke on Thursday in Benin, the Edo State capital, at a meeting of members of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

Yakubu said: “This is the first major election the commission is conducting in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, there is an additional pressure on all of us to ensure that we not only conduct free, fair, credible, transparent, acceptable and peaceful poll, but also a safe election.

“I’m here (in Edo State) essentially to do two things: meet members of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and also meet our own officials. Tomorrow (today), I am going to speak with the electoral officers from 18 local governments. I will also visit some of our local government offices.”