Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Yobe state, has assured the electorate that it has received the non-sensitive materials required to ensure smooth conduct of 2019 general elections.
It also said that all arrangements have been concluded to provide adequate security during the elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Ahmad Makama, disclosed this during an interview with Kanem Trust shortly after a Stakeholders Forum at the commission’s headquarters in Damaturu.
He said that most of the materials to be used in the elections have already been despatched to the local government areas.
Makama said that the sensitive materials would also be made available for conveyance to local governments on the eve of the elections.
He said these would be transported in vehicles that have tracking device so that they could be monitored from the INEC headquarters.
“You will see the vehicles from here to where they are going, you will know if they stopped on the way. This is a new initiative done during the Osun governorship elections. It will happen across the 36 sates of the federation including the FCT,” he said.
Makama assured the electorate that INEC would conduct free, fair and credible elections, and security would be provided in all the 2,823 polling units across the state.
He allayed the fear that election may not hold in 24 voting areas in Gujba, Gulani and Gaidam due to security challenges, saying that alternative voting centres have been provided for registered voters in the areas.
“We will not risk the lives of our staff but I assure you that no registered voter would be disenfranchise. Only that they are required to make some sacrifices because the alternative voting areas would cost them a little distance to go. People should be ready to do that in the interest of their communities and the country,” he appealed.
He said that election process in the state has been very peaceful throughout, until the recent clash between some PDP and APC supporters in Potiskum, which is the state’s political hot seat.
“We addressed the matter during the security meeting and interacted with the communities on Sunshine FM phone-in programme appealing to them to, as much as possible, behave in a matured manner and not to do anything that will disturb peace and the politicians should not engage thugs during or after election nor engage in hate speeches.”
He commended religious and traditional rulers for their roles in mobilizing people, in their areas of influence, to collect their voter cards, saying that two weeks after meeting with them, people trooped in and collected over 100,000 PVCs.
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