The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it will not deploy personnel and materials to eighty six polling units, representing 1.5 percent of polling units out of the five thousand, seven hundred and twenty polling units in the State as they have no voters.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Commission who stated this at a special consultative meeting with political parties, noted that election will however, be held in eight hundred and ninety four, that is 15.4 percent of the polling units which have between one and four voters.
He reassured Anambra people that the Commission is prepared for the Governorship election next weekend as they have transferred all non-sensitive materials for the election to the twenty one Local Government Areas of the State.
The INEC boss revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is handling the delivery of sensitive materials to the State on schedule while the Commission’s State office in Awka is arranging for stakeholders to inspect the materials at the premises of the CBN in Awka.
According to Professor Yakubu, as in all elections, the sensitive materials are moved under security escort to each Local Government Area from where they will be distributed to the Registration Areas or Wards and finally to Polling Units on Election Day and urged political parties, to inform their Party Agents to be present for inspection of the materials at the CBN and to follow the movement of the materials to various locations if they chose to do so.
He noted the Anambra Governorship election will be the first that voting is taking place in polling units since the recent successful conversion of voting points arising from the expansion of voter access to polling units in Nigeria and an additional one thousand, one hundred and twelve polling units were established in Anambra State in addition to the existing four thousand, six hundred and eight locations hence the five thousand, seven hundred and twenty polling units in the State.
The INEC Chairman stated that though voters were encouraged to seize the opportunity of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise to transfer to the new polling units most convenient for them, many did not do so which led to some polling units without voters.
In his reaction, the Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Dr. Donald Nzenwa, said the council as core stakeholders in the political sphere are mindful of the daunting challenges facing the Commission in the upcoming election and as such, will gird their loins in preparation of the challenges ahead to institute a credible, free and fair election.
He however expressed worry that the action and inaction by non State actors which have continued unabated seem to have put the people in fear and charged the Commission to do its best as the atmosphere may not be the best for a credible, free and fair election.
The IPAC Chairman noted that they have prevailed on their candidates to maintain high decorum and play by the rules and as well, rein in their supporters to conduct themselves responsibly.
