By Huseyn Mbar
Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, Bauchi State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said on Monday that his commission was ’80 per cent’ prepared for the 2019 elections.
Abdullahi stated this in Bauchi on Monday during an interactive session with traditional rulers in the state, ahead of 2019 general elections.
He said that storage facilities and collation centres had been rehabilitated, while funds had been earmarked for the activation of registration areas and polling units.
“The non-sensitive election materials have been acquired and put in the zonal store ready for collection.
‘‘A total of 22, 561 election officials are earmarked to man 5, 416 polling units and voting points in 212 registration areas and wards.
“We have also concluded arrangements with the NURTW and NARTO to provide 3, 500 vehicles for the conduct of the general elections,” Abdullahi said.
He said capacity workshops were being conducted for both INEC officials and support staff.
The commissioner said that the commission regarded the 2019 elections as a special project that required meticulous planning and execution, hence the session with the rulers.
“To this end, it (commission) has encapsulated its plans into ‘strategic action plan 2019 and election project plan’ that would guide its activities up to election days,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission, led by Alhaji Baba Shittima-Arfo, the National Commissioner in charge of Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe States, and the traditional rulers later went into a closed door meeting. (NAN)
