Chidi Samuel|
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has summoned an emergency meeting of stakeholders, including international and national observers ahead of the presidential and national assembly elections scheduled for tomorrow.
The meeting is taking place to address some challenges that may affect Saturday’s election.
There are reports that Materials needed for the conduct the elections have gotten to their destinations.
An INEC source has said the inability to get materials to some states is as a result of logistics challenges with logistics.
He told a national publication, “Those saying this is a deliberate act are being economical with the truth. Those states that are yet to receive voting materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria is as a result of one challenge or the other.”
“In some places, planes conveying the materials could not land because of bad weather… so it’s far from the truth that this is deliberate.”
Already, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is accusing the electoral umpire of conniving with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to postpone the polls.
Osa Nehikhare, secretary of the PDP in Edo state, in a statement on Friday, said the commission is acting out the script of the federal government.
He said, “Its 7.00pm on the eve of the presidential and national assembly elections and materials for Edo are not available. This sabotage was orchestrated and a danger to our democracy.”
“They want stand-alone elections so they can deploy their agents of intimidation and harassment.”
Also, Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, accused the commission of deliberately hoarding materials for the elections in some states to frustrate the PDP.
Fayose said he was aware that ballot papers and result sheets for presidential and senatorial elections were not in Ekiti as of 9 pm, adding that only materials for house of representatives were distributed.
In Niger state, Sam Egwu, the resident electoral commissioner (REC), at a press conference on Friday, said elections might not hold in Niger east and Niger north senatorial districts, because the ballot papers meant for the zones, were missing.
“The issue has been reported to the INEC’s Headquarters in Abuja for urgent attention. The officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria saddled with the responsibility of securing the electoral sensitive materials have gone to Abuja for the last batch of the sensitive materials for Saturday’s elections in the state, so we are waiting.’’
Insufficient materials has also been reported in Akwa Ibom and in Eti-Osa local government area of Lagos state.
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