Tragedy struck as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Ogun State, Niyi Ijalaye, was pronounced dead.
Ijalaye collapsed and succumbed to his fate on Monday evening, moments after a pivotal meeting of RECs at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
A source close to the Ogun INEC, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Ijalaye had returned to his hotel room after the intense discussions before the fatal incident unfolded.
Clad in a striking blue-striped kaftan and a bold red cap, Ijalaye engaged fervently in the meeting, contributing to weighty deliberations that centered around the impending off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, along with the urgency of filling seven vacant positions in the National and State Assemblies.
Since his appointment as Ogun State’s REC in March 2022, following the transfer of his predecessor, Olusegun Agbaje, to Lagos State, Ijalaye had been instrumental in shaping the electoral landscape.
As news of his death ripples through the corridors of power, the commission remains silent on the shocking loss.
