Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has promised a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election scheduled
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has promised a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election scheduled for Saturday in Anambra.
Amupitan gave the promise during a visit to the INEC office in Awka on Monday, ahead of a stakeholders’ meeting.
“Our responsibility is to the people of this nation. We are fully prepared to deliver an election that is fair, credible and reflective of the people’s will,” he said.
Amupitan urged all stakeholders to work together in support of a seamless process, cautioning against any attempt by “vested interests” to discredit the electoral process.
According to him, INEC remains focused and undeterred in discharging its constitutional mandate.
The INEC chairman underscored the central role of collaboration with political parties, security agencies, civil society groups and the media in guaranteeing the success of the election.
“We are committed to carrying every stakeholder along in this process. Transparency and partnership remain the bedrock of our credibility,” he said.
Amupitan said that all election materials must arrive at the polling units by 7:00 a.m. and that election must commence at 8:30 a.m. without delay.
He added that collation must take place in the presence of party agents, while collated results must align precisely with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) records.
The INEC chairman said that strong arrangements had been instituted to safeguard the security personnel, voters and the materials throughout the process.
He expressed INEC’s operational capacity, vigilance and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process during the exercise.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Elizabeth Agwu, while providing an operational update for the election, said that non-sensitive materials had been distributed to all the 21 local government areas of the state.
Agwu also stated that BVAS had been fully configured, tested and ready for deployment.
“We have left nothing to chance. From the training of personnel to the deployment of materials, every necessary step has been taken to ensure a smooth, credible and technology-driven election.
” Generators have also been deployed to ensure uninterrupted power supply at critical locations,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)