INEC in Cross River receives sensitive materials for Saturday’s polls

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River has received over 95 per cent of the sensitive materials for Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Cross River, Dr Frankland Briyai, stated this on Monday during a stakeholder meeting in Calabar.

Briyai said that the materials were received in the presence of party officials and security agents, sorted out and dispatched to the various wards across the state.

“By the grace of God we are expecting the remaining materials to arrive in a few days,” he said.

He attributed the success of the Feb 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state to the conducive environment created by the Inter-Agency Committee for Election Security (ICES).

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The REC assured the people of the State that the governorship and house of assembly elections on Saturday would be free of violence.

Speaking, the Chairman of ICES and Commissioner of Police, Mr Austin Abgonlahor, said the police and other security agencies were ready to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.

“I want to assure Cross Riverians that we are very ready for the elections,” he said.

Agbonlahor, who was represented by Mr Cletus Nwadiogbu (DCP), further maintained that there would be no violence during and after the elections.

“If you do not have any business with the election on Saturday, please stay away from the polling booths,” he warned.

The State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Florence Usang, lamented the high number of void votes in the presidential and national assembly elections in the State.

She advised political parties and party faithful to educate the electorate on the need to study the ballot papers well before thumb-printing.