INEC, IGP caution voters against violence ahead of guber polls

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians, ahead of Saturday’s Bayelsa gubernatorial poll, that the commission will not count votes from polling units where violence is recorded.

INEC National Commissioner supervising Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers, May Agbamuche-Mbu, disclosed this in Yenagoa, yesterday, while addressing stakeholders during a meeting, preparatory to the election.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who represented INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said all Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have been customised for INEC, “so, any BVAS you see without INEC’s details cannot be from INEC”.

She noted: “We have all the list of the serial numbers of the BVAS we are going to use. The result sheets will be signed at the polling units.”

“Where there is violence, it will be zero. We will not return to that polling unit to conduct an election. We have also recruited and carefully trained all categories of ad hoc staff to be deployed to the field. All non-sensitive materials have been distributed to all the eight local council area offices of the state. Voter education and sensitisation is ongoing, and we have made arrangements for the transportation of personnel and materials, to ensure that polling units open on schedule on election day.”

In a related development, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, charged troops to create an enabling environment for peaceful elections in Bayelsa.

The GOC, in a statement signed by Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Major Danjuma Jonah, said: “We must ensure that everywhere is safe and people are able to see sufficiently that we are fully on the ground to boost public confidence in the electoral process.”

He warned potential troublemakers to desist, adding: “The era of snatching ballot boxes, stuffing them, and indeed any form of electoral violence are gone. Adequate arrangements have been put in place to deal decisively with such threats.”

This was as Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, warned troublemakers to relocate from Kogi State before Saturday’s election.

He also cautioned politicians and the electorate to allow security agents deployed to the state to do their jobs without blackmail.

The IGP spoke in Lokoja at an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting, organised by INEC ahead of the ooll.

Egbetokun, who was represented by Kogi State Police Commissioner, Bertrend Onuoha, also urged politicians to play according to rules laid down by the constitution and avoid overheating the polity before, during and after the election.