Kogi Guber Poll: INEC To Deploy Three Commissioners; 11 RECs For Monitoring

By Abdul Gaffar Bello

About 72 hours to the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Tuesday it will deploy three National Commissioners and 11 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to monitor the Kogi Governorship poll, slated for Saturday, November 21, 2015.

The Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure in Lokoja, the State capital at a governorship election stakeholders’ forum. Professor Yakubu explained that the deployment was in line with the body’s resolve to ensure a free, fair and credible election in the state.

INEC boss also pointed out that the three National Commissioners would be saddled with the obligation of monitoring the election in the three senatorial districts, including the Kogi East; West and Central.

The electoral body Prof. Yakubu stated attached much importance to the conduct of the the election, in particular as being the first under his headship, adding that all necessary arrangements have been put in place to ensure a free and credible poll.

Prof Yakubu hailed his predecessor, Professor Jega, for raising the bar of the electoral process in Nigeria, noting that Nigerians expected nothing short of his level of performance.

The INEC boss confirmed that all the non-sensitive materials for the weekend exercise had been deployed across the state, while the sensitive materials were already in safe custody at the State’s Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and will be subsequently deployed on the eve of election in the presence of all stakeholders.

Prof Mahmood stressed: “Only people of Kogi can choose who their Governor will be and nobody else. Our duty is to deliver free, fair and credible election.”

The was attended by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, the five National Commissioners; the AIG in charge of Zone 8, representatives of political parties and their candidates, civil society organizations and representatives of the State’s security and paramilitary agencies.