By Gbenga Abulude
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the Commission is determined to hold a hitch-free election in Edo State on September 19.
Outlining measures the Commission has put in place to ensure a transparent and crisis free poll, Yakubu urged its staff members to exemplify maximum professionalism and neutrality in the process of the election.
The INEC Chairman who spoke in Benin at a meeting with INEC national commissioners and staff from across the 18 local government areas of Edo State emphasised on the need for the polling units to open early on election day with officials and materials waiting for voters.
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He noted that voting will commence between 8 and 8.30am and close between 2 and 2.30pm.
“We were here four years ago and the lesson we learnt is that we must be able to speed the process and declare the results on time because the longer it takes, the more it becomes problematic to manage. So, we must get logistics right.
“Neutrality and professionalism (by INEC’s staff) are very important. We are not supporting any political party or the candidate and we are not against any political party or the candidate either. Our concerns are the integrity and transparency of the process.
“The choice of who becomes the governor of Edo State is entirely in the hands of Edo residents and we are going to protect the process.”
According to Yakubu, the conduct of the elections will comply with all the Covid-19 protocols.
He stated that wearing of face masks and use of hand sanitizers at the polling centres are compulsory for voters and electoral officials.
Yakubu said provision for infra-red thermometers at the collation centres, as they are working to extend the thermometers to polling units.
“So, we have made request to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to avail us with about 3,000 infrared thermometers for polling units and voting points.
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“On our own (INEC), we have made provision for infrared thermometers for the 192 ward collation centres. When PTF is able to avail us, we will extend them to the collation centres in the 18 local government areas and the state collation centres.
“You (INEC staff) are required to manage the polling units in a manner that we have not been doing before, as the cubicles will be demarcated in a manner that will give two-metre distance between voters, since it is going to be simultaneous accreditation and voting.”
Yakubu also revealed that the electoral commission introduced innovations, in order to deepen transparency in results’ management process, beginning with the Nasarawa State by-election in the central constituency in the House of Assembly.
He said: “In addition to the card-reader authentication, we are going to deploy the ZIP, with Z file, which is a tablet with a camera. At the end of the process, after voting has been concluded and sorted out, the ballots are counted, the picture of form EC8A will be taken and transmitted to a dedicated portal. So that Nigerians can view the polling units’ results live and direct, by those close to the polling units
“We did the same in Nasarawa State Central by-election and before the declaration of results, Nigerians were able to view the few clean results of the polling units.
“It was a great enhancement of the previous elections and this is a major election, after the Nasarawa State by-election. So, Edo State will set the pace for the conduct of major by-elections and we look forward to a successful, not transmission, but availability of form EC8A for public view on the election day.”
