Olakunle Maruf
Barely 72 hours to the governorship elections across the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission has assured electorates in Sokoto State that the use of the Biomodal Voters Accreditation System in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
INEC National Commissioner in charge of the election in Sokoto State, Major General Modibo Alkali, stated this during stakeholders meeting with heads of political parties Bad newsmen at the INEC office in Sokoto on Wednesday.
The National Commissioner was deployed alongside others to assist the Administrative secretary of the commission in the state following the removal of the state REC, Dr Nura Ali, who was asked to step aside by the national headquarters of the party recently due to some factors allegedly relating to irregularities in the state.
He reemphasized that anyone who bypasses the use of the BVAS machine will not participate in the election proper.
“Any polling units without using BVAS, the election of such polling units will be cancelled.
“I am assuring every resident of Sokoto State that this coming governorship and the house of assembly elections in the state will be free, fair, and credible with one man, one vote”
He, however, called on political leaders in the state to play by the rules and regulations.
The INEC commissioner, however, vowed to deal with anyone found wanting in the electoral process no matter his or her status in society.
He said most of the elections in the state were canceled due to bypass of the BVAS, which he assured that such would not occur again in the remaining elections.
He, however, disclosed that the commission is working with security agencies in the state to prosecute all those indicted during the state’s presidential and national assembly elections.
He said the cancellation of over 400 polling units in the state was the major reason all the National Assembly elections were declared inconclusive.