Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness to conduct a transparent, free and fair senatorial bye-election in Bayelsa West and Central on October 31.
The State Resident Commissioner, (INEC), Cyril Omorogbe who stated this in a press briefing over the weekend noted that the commission is fully ready to conduct a rancour free election.
According to him modalities for the election are 80 per cent ready except for the sensitive materials which will arrive few days to the election.
“We have made adequate preparation for what we need in terms of logistics, transporting materials, Ad-hoc staff. The non-sensitive materials will be transported shortly, while sensitive materials will be transported just few days before the election so we really cannot count that yet. We have held a stakeholders briefing with the political parties and meet with most of the candidates for the election.
“At this point I can say we are 80 per cent ready for the election. 80 per cent because the items that are yet to be delivered to us we can’t count as if we have received them, but on our part in terms of preparation, we have made sure we will conduct a free, fair and credible election.”
Speaking further on a transparent process, Omorogbe disclosed that with 13 different political parties taking part in the bye-election across five local government areas in two senatorial districts, the results will be electronically transmitted from each polling units.
He assured that security will be adequately provided for the election while the electorate are expected to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols.
He said “It will be electronically transmitted, like in Edo state two weeks ago where results were transmitted from the polling units, later in the day you will now see a formal collation of results where a winner will be announced. But the first set is to see that the results are transmitted from the poling unit.
“In terms of the Polling Units (PUs), we have 1270 polling units and I understand there are there problems with flood which might look challenging if some areas are flooded but keeping my fingers crossed I think we can conduct out elections in those polling units”