Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has warned that votes from polling units with recorded violence won’t be counted in the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo state.
INEC boss, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, conveyed this message during a meeting in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, with election stakeholders to prepare for the governorship election scheduled for November 11.
Yakubu emphasized that the commission will not revisit any polling unit marred by violence for a repeat election.
On a parallel note, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also issued a warning to individuals and groups with intentions to disrupt the election. He stated that the police are fully prepared to deal decisively with troublemakers.
However, in Imo State, two gubernatorial candidates, Senators Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Athan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP), staged a walkout during a stakeholders’ meeting organized by INEC. They were advocating for the redeployment of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Sylva Agu.
With less than four days remaining until the three off-season gubernatorial elections, the PDP announced that exit polls’ predictions are in favour of the party winning the November 11 governorship elections. The PDP also expressed optimism that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victory would contribute positively to the party’s success in the Kogi State gubernatorial election.
Yakubu, who was represented at the Yenagoa meeting by INEC National Commissioner responsible for Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers states, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, revealed that all the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BIVAS) intended for use in the elections were customized for INEC.
Agbamuche-Mbu clarified that the BVAS included INEC details and the names of the parties, ensuring that any BVAS lacking INEC details cannot be attributed to INEC. Moreover, INEC has compiled a comprehensive list of the serial numbers of the BVAS that will be used, and result sheets will be signed at the polling units.
Yakubu reiterated, “Where there is violence, it will be zero. We will not return to that polling unit to conduct the election. We have recruited and carefully trained all categories of ad-hoc staff for deployment, distributed non-sensitive materials to all eight local government area offices, and are actively engaged in voter education and sensitization.”
He continued, “We have made arrangements for the transportation of personnel and materials to ensure that polling units open on schedule on election day.”
