Kogi, Bayelsa guber polls INEC to use 2019 security template
By Tunde Opalana, Abuja
To ensure adequate protection of the November 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it will use the same template used for the 2019 general elections.
The commission said it will deploy security personnel to the head office, local government offices, collation centres and polling units in both states.
National Commissioner supervising Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers and Chairman, Legal Services, Mrs. May Agbamuche – Mbu disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, at a round -table on INEC preparedness for the Kogi and Bayelsa states governorship election.
Agbamuche- Mbu, who represented the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said because the security of the environment and protection of the process is a primary concern for all, the commission will engage security agencies is series of consultative meetings before the polls to ensure a hitch- free and violence free election.
She further said that “we will share our own threat assessment with the security agencies using our election violence mitigation and advocacy tool, adding that “we shall out elaborate plans for the deployment of the security agencies, including assignment of adequate personnel for the protection of our polling units, registration area, local government and state collation centres.”
Promising to release a detailed time-table of activities preceding the election on August 1, she said poll officials will be sourced from the National Youth Service Commission (NYSC) in both states while collation and returning officers will be sourced from federal universities in the country.
She however, said that “where we have any shortages we will deploy our staff. The commission has made adequate provisions for the transportation of the ad hoc staff deployed for the election and materials (both by land and sea) which shall be retained from Friday to Sunday and their feeding, and the payment of all allowances accordingly.”
The national commissioner also said INEC will implement a range of voter education and publicity activities from August geared towards building confidence, generating deep interest and promoting full participation of Nigerians in the election process.
