The Independent National Electoral Commission in Ekiti State on Monday said it has received 1,555 smart cards and 4,009 ballot boxes for the forthcoming general election in the state.
The commission also said it had recruited 6,464 adhoc staff made up of corps members for the exercise, which it promised would be credible, free and fair.
The newly deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner to the state, Sam Olumekun, who disclosed these to journalists in Ado Ekiti while briefing them on the preparation for the exercise, said a total of 488,029 prospective voters, representing 67 per cent of 732,776 registered voters, had so far collected their Permanent Voter Cards in the state.
Olumekun said only those with their PVCs would be allowed to vote during the election.
He said the commission resolved on the usage of smart cards for accreditation during the election to add value and credibility to the exercise.
Olumekun, who was deployed from Ogun State to oversee the election in Ekiti State, said aside receipt of the smart cards, the commission had also been given ballot boxes and other non-sensitive materials to execute the poll.
He said the bulk of its ad hoc staff for the election would be corps members, adding that the commission would also use some members of staff of tertiary institutions to make up any shortfall.
He added: “We at INEC resolved to use smart card to improve on the last election.
“This is to add value to the process and to help authenticate the number of accredited people to vote and to remove the tendencies of malpractices being perpetrated in the past.
“So nobody can come up with any fake figure.
“Some African countries have started using it and I assure you that INEC has taken measures to block all forms of malpractices.”
The REC appealed to politicians seeking elective posts to base their campaign on issues and refrain from campaign of calumny as being presently witnessed in the country.
Olumekun said the commission was working with security agencies in the state to ensure hitch free elections, adding that it had also sent its staff on training and re-training courses to boost their morale towards delivering credible election.