We are ready for Saturday Presidential, NASS elections ― INEC

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu on Wednesday said his Commission was almost ready for the presidential and national assembly elections rescheduled for Saturday.

Addressing newsmen at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Professor Yakubu revealed that his Commission has achieved 100 per cent configuration of the Smart Card Readers ahead of the polls while distribution of sensitive and non sensitive materials across the 774 local councils in the country have since commenced in ten states to be completed, tomorrow (Thursday).

He further assured the gathering of newsmen, local and international observers that his Commission has been making good progress on logistics.

He said: “At yesterday’s (Tuesday) briefing, we reported that we achieved 95 per cent configuration of the Smart Card Readers (SCR) nationwide. The Card Readers were introduced in the 2015 general elections to facilitate the accreditation of voters using the PVCs. They are configured to specific polling units and only open for use at 8 am on Election Day. They automatically shut down by 10 pm in order to forestall any illegal use before the appointed time of elections. I am pleased to report that we have now achieved 100 per cent completion of the configuration. We are good to go on this score.

“Similarly, I briefed you yesterday (Tuesday) that our state offices had commenced the process of inviting stakeholders to the Central Bank of Nigeria to examine the retrieved materials deployed last week and to witness the batching of materials according to Local Government Areas (LGAs). Reports from the States indicate full compliance.

“Similarly, I briefed you yesterday that having moved the sensitive materials to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the forward deployment to the 774 LGAs nationwide will commence today Wednesday 20th February 2019 and be concluded tomorrow, Thursday 21st February 2019. Already, Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Osun, Ogun, Oyo and Taraba States have commenced the movement of materials to LGAs today. Other states will do so and conclude tomorrow. We will give a full rendition of movement to LGAs across all States of the Federation tomorrow.

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“We have been making good progress on logistics. Similarly, all other arrangements for the movement of personnel from the LGAs to the Wards are on course. We will fully brief you tomorrow at 3 pm.”

Asked for an update on the fate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State chapter of the party, the INEC chairman insisted that APC would not be eligible to field candidates as he noted that the judgment of the Supreme Court has nailed the political coffin of the party in the state.

“On the issues in Rivers, I think the Supreme Court has a number of pronouncement on that matter. And, for that reason, the commission has taken the position made by the judgement of the Supreme Court. Under our constitution, the Supreme Court is the last court of resort for any citizen.

“There must be an end to litigations as lawyers say. And, once a Supreme Court makes a pronouncement all essence of authority are bound to obey the judgement of the Supreme Court. And, the Commission as a law-abiding institution is bound by the judgement. That is my answer to the question and there is nowhere else to go. We will go by the judgements of all the courts but once it gets to the Apex court, that is the end to the litigations.”

Recall that the apex court had in a lead judgement delivered by Justice Sidi Barge upheld the order of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, nullifying the All Progressives Congress primaries in Rivers State.

The trial court had held that the primaries were held in disobedience to a court judgement barring the party from conducting congresses, pending the determination of a suit filed by 22 aggrieved members of the party. Further findings revealed that a judgement of the Court of Appeal had earlier struck out the APC Rivers State chapter appeal and upheld the judgment of Justice Chiwendu Nworgu of the Rivers State High Court, which earlier voided the APC Congresses in the state.