February 25, (THEWILL) – Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has disclosed that the Commission is on top of unfolding challenges with the conduct of the ongoing voting in the presidential election .
He listed the issues to include complaints by some party leaders that the Commission refused to issue their party logo to agents expected at the Commission’s collation centre, party logo missing in the ballot, late arrival of materials in some states and violent attack in some states during voting.
Yakubu spoke on Saturday at a press briefing at the National Collation Centre of the Commision in Abuja.
On the complaints about party agents without logo, the INEC boss who stated that only accredited agents would be admitted into the collation centre during and after election, disclosed that the Commission made provision to accommodate genuine party agents whose names may have been mistakenly omitted during accreditation.
He said: “We have complaints about the logo of a political party without acronyms on the result sheets. To resolve that, INEC provided two additional blank rolls to take care of any political party that the Commission may be forced to accommodate in an eventuality. We have polling units’ specific sheets with copies given to polling agents and the police. The Polling Officer and the collation agents are authorised to certify and stamp the forms.”
Yakubu said the Commission was tracking the issue of late arrival or availability of voting materials in Abia and Imo states. Specifically in Imo, he said the Commission has identified four affected Local Governments. These are Okigwe (5 out of 11 wards) Oguta,(widespread) Orsu (6 wards) and Orlu (11 wards).
“In Imo state voters who cannot vote may have to be transferred to other polling units. In Abia deployment of materials is already taking place,” Yakubu assured the public, adding that, “no matter how late voters who are on the queue before 2:00 pm will vote no matter the time it takes.”
Responding to questions, he confirmed reports of feared attacks on some locations in Gworza, Borno State but said the Commission was tracking it to ascertain its impact on voting there.
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