The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano State has declared its readiness to conduct Saturday’s bye-elections across affected constituencies, pledging a free, fair, and credible process with tight security arrangements.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Abdu Zango, disclosed this while briefing journalist in Kano.
He said both sensitive and non-sensitive materials had been delivered to their designated locations, personnel fully trained, and security agencies mobilised for massive deployment.
“We are good to go. Non-sensitive materials have been in the local governments for over three weeks, batched according to registration areas and polling units. ”
“Sensitive materials have also arrived and will be distributed to local governments this evening in the presence of party agents and security officers,”
Zango explained that electoral officers and ad-hoc staff would move with materials to polling units late Friday night to ensure early morning set-up,stressing that Voting is scheduled to begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
The Resident Electoral Officer noted that the elections would be technology-driven, with the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) configured and tested for each polling unit.
“BVAS has been configured for almost two weeks, charged, checked, and is ready for deployment. It will be used side-by-side with the voters’ register.”
” Accreditation figures will start at zero, and voter cards are mandatory. If your card is not recognised by BVAS, you will not vote,”
According to Zango, an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting involving all security agencies had assured INEC of adequate protection for voters, officials, and materials.
He added that INEC has deployed over 1,400 ad-hoc staff for the exercise, with training completed over the past weekend.
Abdullahi Jalaluddeen Kano.
