The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it would be deploying three of its National Commissioners to supervise Saturday Bayelsa supplementary governorship election.
Nick Dazang, INEC Deputy Director of Publicity who disclosed this, added that the commission would also deploy a technical team to each ward where the election would be conducted.
“The technical team would be deployed to intervene in situations where there are technical challenges as regards the use of card readers,” Dazang said.
He said that no fewer than 834 ad hoc staff, comprising of four staff in each of the 431 polling units, would also be deployed to conduct the election.
Dazang said that election would be conducted in 425 polling units (PUs) and five voting points in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.
Besides, he said that the supplementary election would also hold in 101 PUs in three other local government areas of the state where election were cancelled.
“In addition to these the commission is going to monitor the election via its situation room situated at the INEC headquarters in Abuja,” said the spokesman.
He confirmed that the commission had on Wednesday commenced the distribution of sensitive materials from the state capital to local government areas where election would be conducted.
On security, Dazang said that security agencies during a meeting held in December 2015 had assured the commission of needed security to conduct safe election.
Asked of the allegations trending among political parties that INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa was offered money by one of the candidates to influence the election in his favour, Dazang said it was an allegation that has not been proved by anyone.
“On Dec. 17, 2015, we had meeting with all the political parties and candidates contesting the election, none of the parties or candidates raise the issue.
“If the allegation was true it could have been raised at the meeting. The state REC is still going to conduct the supplementary election because he has not been found wanting on the basis of allegation that could not be proven by anybody,” he said.
Dazang said that the commission was fully ready to conduct credible, free and fair supplementary election on Jan. 9 to conclude the state governorship election.
However, he called for the collaboration of all stakeholders to ensure that peaceful and credible supplementary election was conducted in line with INEC’s planning expectations.
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