Anambra: INEC assures Observer Group of support, deploys non-sensitive materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured a Non Governmental Organisation, (NGO) Watching The Vote team of the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) and every other election observer group of its maximum support in the forthcoming November 18, governorship election in Anambra State.

The Commission Head of Voter Education in Anambra State, Barrister Owette Emmanuel, made the pledge during a training Organised by the YIAGA ahead of the polls.

The group has recruited 500 polling unit observers who will be trained to observe the November 18 elections while also deploying 27 mobile observers across all the 21 local Government Areas in the state to supervise stationary polling units observers and report critical incident.

INEC also revealed that it has over two million registered voters in Anambra state according to an updated voter register of the state, as the commission reiterates its readiness for the elections. According to INEC, the voter register in Anambra state has a total of two million, one hundred and fifty-eight thousand, one hundred and seventy-one voters (2,158,171) voters in the state.

While addressing the WTV team and trainers in Anambra, Barrister Emmanuel said all political parties contesting the Anambra Governorship polls have been publicly presented with the document containing all the registered voters in the state. This he described as the height of transparency by the Commission. Also, he said the voters will be spread across 4608 polling units and 731 Voting points.

According to him, voting points are created if the total number of registered voters in a polling Unit is above 750 registered voters to avoid a crowded polling units and delay in voting.

He further declared that non-sensitive materials have been deployed to all the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state. While reiterating the commission’s readiness for the elections, Barrister Emmanuel said, INEC has simplified the election process by creating Registration Area Centre (RACS) in various wards which are not far from Polling Units. This according to him, will eliminate the late arrival of election personnel and materials to the polling Units.

He equally assured that INEC was putting finishing touches on its preparation for the November 18 polls with several voter education programmes across communities using various medium of communication.

“Enough sensitisation has been done on how to vote right. If voters’ vote rightly, rejected votes will not much” he said.

Similarly, he said Persons with Disability (PWDs) would be given special consideration to prevent them from going through the rigors of queuing for accreditation and voting. He also emphasised the security of voters as he said adequate security personnel would  be deployed while urging citizens to stay out of trouble.