INEC relocates five polling units in Niger

All is now set for the conduct of the by-election into the Niger State House of Assembly for the Munya Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) this Saturday.

No fewer than 500 ad hoc staff have been recruited to conduct the exercise, which will pave the way for the emergence of a new member through a transparent electoral process.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Niger State, Ahmed Yusha’u Garki, disclosed this while presenting sensitive electoral materials to representatives of political parties at the Minna branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to him, “With this presentation of sensitive electoral materials, INEC is more than ever committed to the conduct of credible and acceptable elections. The materials will be transported to Munya by the Returning Officers with the assistance of armed security personnel for today’s (Saturday) by-election.”

He further explained that, in a bid to ensure a peaceful exercise, INEC has relocated five polling units in Munya LGA to safer locations. The affected polling units are Beni, Dangunu, Kabula, Kazai and Kuchi. He noted that the commission adopted the same strategy during the 2023 general elections, which he described as highly successful.

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On the use of BVAS, Garki stated that the devices had been fully charged, configured, and activated ahead of the poll. He assured that they would give optimal performance and urged eligible voters to turn out en masse to elect credible leaders of their choice.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, promised to provide an enabling environment for voters to exercise their franchise. He stressed that the police and other security agencies would not tolerate any breakdown of law and order before, during, and after the by-election.

Similarly, the Niger State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Isah Mohammed Bello Maikujeri, expressed confidence in the process.

He said, “Both the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police are people of proven track records, and we are confident of their commitment to ensuring a peaceful election.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE