INEC not for perfect election, says Kebbi REC

 

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of Kebbi State, Jibril Ibrahim Zarewa, yesterday said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not out to conduct a perfect election today, but rather an election that is better than previous ones.
Zarewa who stated this at a press briefing in Birnin-Kebbi how ever added that the agency had successfully distributed all sensitive materials throughout the 21 local governments in the state in readiness for the polls.

He added that the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection in the state is now 95 per cent and that there is still a window to enable those who have not collected theirs to do so on the day of voting at the polling units.

He said: “We are going to have some challenges but if we are able to get the logistics right, we will set up small distribution centres so people can still collect their PVCs and vote.”

Zarewa while responding to a questions on measures put in place by INEC to curb corruption related activities between its ad-hoc staff and politicians, said: “The issue of corruption is not between the ad-hoc staff and politicians, but rather let us say in the entire process.
“I think Nigerians have settled for so many changes, Now those changes are intended to improve what we do. We cannot solve all problems over night. 

“INEC does not expect to make a perfect election but our hope is to have an election that is free, fair and that is better than all the ones we have ever conducted and after we come to review, we will see the areas we made mistakes that will need further improvement in future. 

“But it is not going to be a perfect election but we want it to better than all the elections we have had before.”

According him, the number of registered voters in Kebbi State is 1,470,648, while PVCs supplied to the state is 1,467,992.

He said that of the PVCs supplied 1,389,041 have been distributed representing 95 per cent of number of PVCs supplied.

He added that 1,459,725 were supplied to the state out of which 1,458,474 which include five per cent on the number of register voters in the state have been distributed.

He said the balance of 1,251 ballot papers have been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for safe keeping.

He said that the elections will be conducted in a total of 3,190 polling units and voting points made up of 2,398 polling units and 792 voting points. 

The Kebbi REC said a situation room to monitor the conduct of the elections as well as interface with the INEC headquarters in Abuja has been opened.
He said the situation room has been equipped with necessary gadgets to allow for online real time monitoring activities of field officers. 

He said it would also allow the headquarters in Abuja to monitor election progress in the state during and after voting.

He said even though the INEC would receive substantial information from the field before the end of collation and counting of votes, it would announce election results until it’s officers turn their reports. 

He said the advance information is meant to safeguard the sanctity of actual figures arrived at the polling centres. 

He said the Commission had made provision for 170 buses to enable the movement of both men and materials to the polling units on time.

He advised the electorate to arrive the polling centres on time to enable the voting process to commence as scheduled by 8am.