INEC deploys election materials ahead of Kogi, Bayelsa gubernatorial polls

By Bimbo Ogunnaike

Ahead of the November 16 Kogi and Bayelsa States governorship polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has disclosed that non sensitive materials have been delivered to the two states in advance preparation.

The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, made this disclosure during an interaction with Senate Committee on INEC, on the update of activities of the commission ahead of the elections.

Committee Chairman, Senator Kabir Gaya, during the interaction sought to know the level of INEC’s preparedness to avoid unforeseen catastrophe, but the umpire insisted that it was well prepared to conduct a hitch-free election, adding that there was budgetary provision for contingencies.

“Non sensitive materials have been delivered to Kogi and Bayelsa States ahead of November 16 governorship election. We are making arrangement for use of manual registers with the use of card reader machines.We have also started the recruitment of personnel to be used during elections including Corp members who would also be trained.

Speaking on the fear of possible electoral violence in the two states, Yakubu  said the commission has taken into cognizance crisis that happened during primaries in Kogi and Bayelsa governorship primaries, saying that they have engaged the Inspector General of Police on the issue.

“We have taken into consideration what happened during governorship primaries in Kogi and Bayelsa States and we have engaged the Inspector General of Police on deployment of Security agents.”