Only INEC empowered to release results ― Professor Yakubu

As the nation goes to the polls today for a fresh round of general elections, the electoral umpire,  the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has warned against the posting of fake results.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu declared that only the electoral body was statutorily empowered to declare election results.

He also disclosed that adequate arrangement has been made in conjunction with security agents to guarantee the security of lives of eligible voters ahead of today’s electoral process.

He said: “As we go to the polls tomorrow, (today) I appeal to voters to be peaceful and orderly before, during and after the elections. The police, working with other security agencies, have assured us of adequate security for voters, electoral officials, observers, and journalists.

“May I also appeal to all to ensure compliance with the usual restriction of movement for those who are not observers or on essential duty.

“Only INEC is empowered by law to declare election results. I urge everyone to refrain from issuing any result. The Commission will work assiduously to ensure that the collation and declaration of results are done at the various levels expeditiously.”

Giving an update on logistics, Professor Yakubu said his Commission has since completed the distribution of election materials to the 774 local councils across the country.

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“We have concluded the movement of personnel and materials to the 774 LGAs and 8,809 Registration Area Centres nationwide. All arrangements are now in place to facilitate the opening of polls nationwide at 8 am tomorrow. Citizens can obtain locational directions to their polling units by visiting gotomypu.ng They will access the locational name of their Polling Units and a link to a Google Map that will lead them to the PU. In the last 10 days, about 190,000 voters have utilised the various social media platforms to geo-locate their polling units.

“Voting will be by Continuous Accreditation and Voting System (CAVS) procedure and a voter will only be allowed to vote if his/her name is on the Register of Voters and after the verification of the PVC and authentication of his/her biometrics by the Smart Card Reader (SCR). No genuine PVC, No Voting.

“Telephones and other photographic devices may be brought to the polling units, but are not allowed in the voting cubicles. Other stringent measures are in place to combat the menace of vote buying and other sundry electoral malfeasance. The Commission, with the support of the security agencies, is determined to extirpate this scourge from our electoral process by prosecuting anyone arrested.”

He further disclosed to newsmen that local council secretariat will serve as centres for a declaration of Federal Constituencies and Senatorial Districts election results while the International Conference Centre, Abuja would be the centre for final collation and declaration of results of the presidential election.

“The sorting and counting of ballots will take place at each polling unit while the first stage of the collation process takes place at the Registration Areas. From there, collation and declaration will take place at designated Local Government Area result collation and declaration centres for Federal Constituencies and Senatorial Districts. The final collation and declaration of Presidential election results will be done here in this Hall. ”