Anambra Election: No sensitive materials missing – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has come out to state that none of the sensitive materials meant for the November 18th Governorship election in Anambra State is missing.

This clarification is on the heels of a media publications where a chairman of one of the political parties contesting for the Anambra elections alleged that two lorry loads of sensitive materials meant for the 18 November
Governorship election have been intercepted by the Police in an undisclosed hotel in Awka and two persons were arrested while large quantities of what looked like the Voters Register for the election was also confiscated.

But in a statement signed on Wednesday by Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, said that no sensitive material meant for the election which is supposed to be at the custody of the commission is missing.

According to him, such a material cannot possibly be delivered to a hotel room because there are clear rules for its delivery as party agents and the civil society must witness its movement.

He said: “The Commission wishes to state that it is not aware of any missing sensitive election material and has not received any official report in that regard.

“However, the Commission wishes to point out in clear terms that it is not possible for sensitive materials meant for the Anambra State Governorship election to be delivered to a hotel room because there are laid down processes of delivery of sensitive election materials, which involve strict monitoring of the process by party agents, election observers, security agencies and the media.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission, therefore, states categorically that the materials allegedly found in a hotel room in Awka do not belong to the Commission” Orji affirmed.

Reacting on the intercepted voters register, Orji responded, “On the alleged printing of the Register of Voters, Section 20 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides that INEC shall publish the Register of Voters not later than 30 days before an election.

“To that effect, it is customary for the Commission to provide the Register to political parties presenting candidates for an election. This was done in a widely publicised event in Awka on 18 October 2017 during which all the parties present collected the electronic register.

“However, it is pertinent to note that the Register given to political parties by INEC does not have the same details as the one used for elections. Indeed, several fields and security features are not included in the Register given to political parties” he stated.

The REC further pointed out that upon closer examinations, INEC discovered some similarities between the impounded voters register and the original copy published by INEC.

“The Commission has had the opportunity to compare the Register recovered by the Police and the one meant for the 18 November Anambra State Governorship election. It is clear on examination that what the Police recovered appears to have been printed from the electronic Register given to the political parties, and not the official Register of Voters for the Governorship election.”

The election umpire reassured the electorate in Anambra of a transparent, free, fair and credible electoral process while it urged the public to verify all information before going public.

Myke Uzendu, Abuja.