With less than three weeks to the Bayelsa West and Central senatorial by-election, Mr Cyril Omorogbe, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, says the commission is fully ready to conduct a rancor-free election.
Briefing newsmen at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa on Friday, Omoregbe, said modalities for the election are 80 per cent ready.
He said that what remained was the distribution of sensitive materials which would arrive few days to the election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 13 political parties will be participating in the by-election on Octo. 31, 2020.
“We have made adequate preparation for what we need in terms of logistic, transporting materials, ad hoc staff.
“The non-sensitive materials will be transported shorty, while sensitiv materials will be transported just few days before the election, so, we really cannot count that yet.
“We held a stakeholders’ briefing yesterday with the political parties and met with most of the candidates for the election.
“At this point I can say we are 80 per cent ready for the election. It is 80 per cent because the items that are yet to be delivered to us we can’t count as if we have received them.
“But on our part in terms of preparation, we have made sure we will conduct a free, fair and credible election,” he said.
With 13 different political parties taking part in the by-election across five local government areas in two senatorial districts, Omorogbe, further disclosed that the results would be electronically transmitted from each polling unit.
He assured that security would be adequately provided for the election while the COVID-19 protocols would be strictly adhered to by the commission.
According to him, the commission expects all voters and stakeholders to take note of the protocols.
“It will electronically be transmitted, like in Edo state two weeks ago where results were transmitted from the polling units.
“Later in the day you will now see formal collation of results where winners will be announced.
“But the first step is to see that the results are transmitted from the poling unit.
“In terms of the Polling Units (PUs), we have 1,270 polling units.
“I understand there are these problems with flood which might look challenging if some areas are flooded but keeping my fingers crossed I think we can conduct our elections in those polling units,” he assured. (NAN)
