The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says movement of electoral materials to the 774 local governments in Nigeria will be concluded by the end of today.
The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu said, already materials have reached local government of 19 states as at 3.30 pm, when the Commission briefed the press, and the final delivery to the rest 17 states and the federal capital would be concluded at the end of today. Only in Bayelsa that deployment would be concluded on Friday, because the materials there would be moving directly from the INEC office in the state to the LGs.
According to him, the movement of the materials will get to the various Wards by Friday and then on to the 119973 polling units across the country, where voting shall take place, before 8am on Saturday.
Yakubu said INEC has reached agreement with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to extend or reissue the visas of foreign observers who wish to extend their stay in Nigeria till the governorship election in March 9, 2019 or those who want to go and return for the March election on a later day.
He said two NIS officials are currently assigned to carry out the task, and are working from the INEC office in Abuja. According to him the Commission has also secured fee waivers for the visa reissues and extensions.
According to him out of the 84.4 million PVCs so far issued, 72,775,585 have been collected, representing 86.3 per cent. He said 11,228,582 PVCs are yet to be collected and the uncollected PVCs have been taken to the CBN for safe keeping, and they would be retrieved by the Commission, after the elections for their owners to collect them.
He also said that the Commission is in discussion with the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC) for youth corps members that would be used for the polls, to use mattresses used during the youth service orientation camp, and that the INEC would ensure the provision of light and water for their comfort.
On Fielding of APC Candidates In Zamfara, Rivers
The INEC chairman maintained that the All Progressive Congress (APC) will not be allowed to field candidates in the governorship and national assembly elections in Rivers and Zamfara, as has been ruled by the Supreme Court. He said the position of the Commission does not change once the Supreme Court has pronounced a judgment that is the end of litigation. He said the Commission is bound to obey the judgment of the court.
“Once a court pronounces an order, you are duty bound to obey, whether you like it or not”, he added.
Whether He Was Considering Resigning
“I am not under any pressure to resign. The last time I checked I am still the chairman of the INEC my status and powers bestowed on me by the constitution have not changed and I am proceeding to do my job based on those powers. I have not considered resigning because there is no basis for it. I will continue to discharge my duties to the country”, he said.
Voters Carrying Phone to Polling Units
Yakubu said Voters are free to carry their phone to polling stations and be used at the vicinity of the polling units. He said there were free to use their phones to record the results at the polling units; agents can use their phones, to record the tabulated results, “but that there will be one source of election announcement, this would ensure transparency. What we do not allow is for the voter to carry his phone into the voting cubicles”>
Role of Military
On the role of the Military in the coming polls, Yakubu said, the Nigerian police is the lead security agency empowered by the constitution, and it is the police that can ask for support from any other security agency if it needs it, and it is only the police that can determine the extent of the involvement of other security outfits. He maintained however, that the military shall not be at the vicinity of the polls.
On Card Readers Configuration
He said card readers were configured to work till 10 pm because voters would still be allowed to vote once they were on the queue before or by 2 pm. Because the polling units will close by 2pm why card readers are configured to work till 10 pm. The period of voting in Nigeria is too short. Though voting is supposed to end by 2pm, the law provides that after 2 pm anyone who is on the queue is allowed to vote beyond 2pm. The logic is that no one would still be around by 10 pm to vote.
On Kogi State
He said the allegation of election materials found in a home of a politician in Kogi state, Yakubu said there is not proof yet that any of INEC materials have been leaked to any candidate. According to him Natasha Akpoti, senatorial candidate in Kogi Central, who made the Kogi allegation met with him and he called the candidate’s agent who confirmed that all the INEC materials sent to Kogi were intact and were verified during an audit. He said the candidate confirmed to him that she had sent a petition to the security agencies for investigation, adding that he would be interested to know the outcome of the investigation.
He said it is difficult for its sensitive materials to be cloned because of the ample security features and protocols on the sensitive materials. “The security features cannot be seen with the naked eyes and it would be difficult for anyone to clone our materials. Our materials are safe.
