INEC Gives Update on Election Materials Movement

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will complete the deployment of sensitive election materials to the Nation’s 774 local government areas for the Saturday elections by Thursday.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the commission was making good progress on logistics for the rescheduled elections.

I briefed you yesterday that having moved the sensitive materials to the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, the forward deployment to the 774 LGAs nationwide will commence today Wednesday Feb. 20 and be concluded tomorrow Thursday Feb. 21.

Already, 10 states; Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Taraba States have commenced the movement of materials to LGAs today.

Other States will do so and conclude tomorrow. We will give a full rendition of movement to LGAs across all States of the Federation tomorrow.

We have been making good progress on logistics. Similarly, all other arrangements for the movement of personnel from the LGAs to the Wards are on course. We will fully brief you tomorrow at 3pm,’’ he said.

Yakubu also disclosed that the commission had achieved 100 per cent completion of the configuration of the Smart Card Readers for the elections.

The Card Readers were introduced in the 2015 general elections to facilitate the accreditation of voters using the PVCs. They are configured to specific polling units and only open for use at 8am on Election Day.

They automatically shut down by 10 pm in order to forestall any illegal use before the appointed time of elections. I am pleased to report that we have now achieved 100 per cent completion of the configuration. We are good to go on this score.