Anambra guber: Sensitive materials will have high security features, no extra polling booths – Jega

Professor Attahiru Jega

 Professor Attahiru Jega, National Chairman of the  Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed  that all sensitive materials for Saturday’s gubernatorial  election in Anambra state have been modified with top  security features.

 The INEC boss, who spoke yesterday in Awka, the state  capital, explained that the modification was to achieve a  credible poll.

 According to him, ballot papers now have security features with serial numbers in all the polling units, while result sheets would be given out to the electoral officers together with ballot papers.

Jega denied allegation that the Commission created extra polling booths for the November 16 election.

He stated that polling centres with greater number of voters up to 3000 registered voters were only broken down into voting points within the same booth.

This he believes, will make its accreditation and voting faster, so as to meet up with the timing for the election, particularly for accreditation that ends by 12pm.

Jega also hinted that the previously faulty Anambra voters register has been corrected with authenticated 1, 784, 536 voters, and advised polling agents to take record of the ballot boxes as all of them are serially numbered.

His word: “All the polling units have good voters register and if your name is not in the register and go there to vote, the police will arrest you. We have done our best to improve on the integrity of the election.

“We identified mistakes and we have corrected them, we therefore plead with stakeholders to please help us conduct credible election.” He pleaded.

“Money sharing is an electoral offence and INEC is ready to prosecute the offenders. For now, we do not have effective monitor of candidate’s expenditure, but for 2015 elections, we will monitor candidates’ expenditure, but there has to be solid evidence of financial inducement before INEC can take action.”

The INEC chairman also disclosed that about four ballot centres were discovered in Oyi local government by the Commission. He said the said centers existed inside bushes, but that they have relocated the polling booths to Nteje where they are needed.

On his part, the Inspector General of Police, MD Abubakar warned that movement will be restricted, adding that candidates and VIPs who use police orderlies would not go to the polling centres with armed security agents.

He also appealed to such people against going about to monitor the election.

“If you do not have business with the election, please remain in your house. Both umbrellas and walking sticks are instruments that can cause harm and are therefore not allowed to be used on that day,” he said.

“Nigeria needs a change and we are willing to change for the better. Trouble makers should please stay away because even the riverside areas of Anambra state will be patrolled by the Navy, while the Air Force will commence air surveillance from two days to the election.”

The IGP disclosed that for effective security operation for the election, the security formations will be decentralised into the three senatorial zones, each to be headed by a Commissioner of Police.

Abubakar added that 120 mobile policemen will be added to the regular policemen in each of the three Senatorial zones, just as the Army, Air Force, and Naval detachment would join the police.