The Independent National Electoral Commission says it would be deploying three of its National Commissioners to supervise Saturday’s supplementary governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Nick Dazang, INEC Deputy Director of Publicity, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
Dazang added that the commission would also deploy a technical team to each ward where the election would be conducted.
“The technical team would be deployed to intervene in situations where there are technical challenges as regards the use of card readers,” Dazang said.
He said no fewer than 834 ad hoc staff, comprising of four staff in each of the 431 polling units, would also be deployed to conduct the election.
Dazang said election would be conducted in 425 polling units and five voting points in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
Besides, he said the supplementary election would also hold in 101 PUs in three other local government areas of the state where election were cancelled.
“In addition to these, the commission is going to monitor the election via its situation room situated at the INEC headquarters in Abuja,” said the spokesman.
Dazang confirmed that the commission had on Wednesday commenced the distribution of sensitive materials from the state capital to local government areas where election would be conducted.
On security, Dazang said security agencies during a meeting held in December 2015 had assured the commission of needed security to conduct safe election.
Asked of the allegations trending among political parties that the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa State was offered money by one of the candidates to influence the election in his favour, Dazang said it was an allegation that has not been proved by anyone.
He said: “On December 17, 2015, we had meeting with all the political parties and candidates contesting the election.
“None of the parties or candidates raised the issue.
“If the allegation was true, it could have been raised at the meeting.
“The state REC is still going to conduct the supplementary election because he has not been found wanting on the basis of allegation that could not be proven by anybody.”
Dazang said the commission was fully ready to conduct credible, free and fair supplementary election on January 9 to conclude the state governorship election.
However, he called for the collaboration of all stakeholders to ensure that peaceful and credible supplementary election was conducted in line with INEC’s planning expectations.
NAN.
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