INEC ready for Kwara bye-election – REC

Bye-election
By Abiodun Esan
Ilorin, March 10, 2020 (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara says it has completed all arrangements for the conduct of the state Assembly bye-election in Patigi constituency, slated for March 14.
Malam Garba Attahiru-Madami, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, disclosed this on Tuesday in Ilorin, at the signing of peace accord among the six political parties participating in the bye-election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the REC also met with members of the State Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), preparatory to the March 14 election.
“We are fully ready for the bye-election; our trained electoral personnel are ready to conduct transparent and credible election for the Patigi state constituency,” Attahiru-Madami said.
He said that the corps members, who would serve as ad hoc staff, had been trained for the exercise.
Attahiru-Madami promised that smart card readers would work well during the election, adding that, at least, three of them would be configured for each of the 105 polling units to forestall malfunctioning.
He said that the commission had received all sensitive materials, such as ballot papers and result sheets from the headquarters, adding that they would be inspected on Thursday in the presence of all the political parties, security agencies and the press before being taken to Patigi.
Attahiru-Madami, therefore, appealed to all the political parties that would take part in the bye-election to conduct themselves peacefully and shun any act of violence.
He promised that INEC would give all the political parties level- playing ground, adding that he too would be impartial and unbiased.
“We promise to give all of you level-playing ground. We did it during the 2019 general elections; we will do it better on March 14,” he said.
The REC added that a total of 52,233 voters were registered in Patigi local government, out of which 51,476 permanent voter cards (PVC) were received.
He added that 41,695 PVCs were collected, leaving 7,781 uncollected and that they were being kept at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said that the command had already put in place security measures to ensure smooth implementation of all electoral processes in the state.
He said that the police would be visible in all the polling units to enable eligible voters in the constituency participate in the exercise without threat to lives and property.
Egbetokun warned leaders of political parties that would be participating in the election to warn their supporters to shun all kinds of political violence, ballot snatching and thuggery during the exercise.
“The police will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any person or group of people found disrupting the peaceful political atmosphere which the state is known for,” he said
The police commissioner said that there would be restriction of vehicular movement on the day of the election in Patigi local government, adding that anybody found with vehicle or motorcycle during the election would be arrested.
The state Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Theophilus Oyebiyi, speaking on behalf of the other political parties, commended the REC for the good work he had been doing in the state.
“You have done well in past elections; we have no doubt that you will repeat the success recorded in the 2019 elections in this bye-election,” he said.
Oyebiyi assured the REC that all the political taking part in the bye-election would conduct themselves peacefully, devoid of any violence.
“I want to assure you that leaders of the political parties are disciplined; we are prepared to be peaceful and we will display this on Saturday,” he added.
NAN reports that representatives of the six political parties signed the peace accord against the use of thugs during the campaign and on the day of the election. (NAN)
ESAN/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq