Philip Nwosu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it is working to ensure that everything that will make the Kogi and Bayelsa elections, scheduled for November 2019, flawless and rancor free, is strategically situated before the elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu who made the assertion said that already non-sensitive materials have been delivered to the two states while sensitive materials will be delivered one month before the elections scheduled for November 16, 2019.
Professor Yakubu spoke at the Colloquium of the Lagos Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) explaining that, “Part of the concerns that have been raised about the forthcoming Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections is the possible outbreak of violence, given the history of political violence resulting in the governorship elections being declared inconclusive in the two states in 2015.
“Therefore, politicians in Bayelsa and Kogi must shed off the toga of political violence associated with elections in the two states. The Commission will continue to work with security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to provide adequate security for all our elections, consistent with the provision of Section 29 (3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended, which provides that “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and for purposes of securing the vote, the Commission shall be responsible for requesting for the deployment of relevant security personnel necessary for elections or registration of voters and shall assign them in a manner to be determined by the Commission in consultation with the relevant security agencies”).
Professor Yakubu who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary Rotimi Oyekanmi, said that the Commission will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to bring perpetrators of electoral offences to book, adding that Such synergy led to the conviction of 42 offenders in Minjibri, Kano State, “We look forward to working with the Police towards the successful prosecution of all electoral offenders arrested during the 2019 general elections.”
He said: “The official Register of Voters will be published on 3rd October while the final list of nominated candidates will follow on 17th October.
