Despite petrol, naira scarcity, INEC chair says elections will hold as planned

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the forthcoming elections will hold as planned.

Yakubu spoke after a meeting with the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The INEC chairman’s statement comes as Nigerians across the country battle with the scarcity of petrol and new naira notes.

Concerns have been raised about how the situation may affect the conduct of the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections on February 25 and March 11 respectively.

Yakubu said the meeting with the FEC was to brief the council about the commission’s readiness to conduct the elections.

He said members of the council were taken through all the preparations put in place for the election and how challenges are being addressed.

“I can tell you two of these challenges quickly. The first one is the availability of petroleum products. We had a meeting with the National Union of Road Transport Workers and they raised that as an issue of concern,” he said.

“Immediately after that meeting, we interfaced with the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and right now there’s a technical community working.

“The idea is for them to avail us the use of their over 900 land mega stations as well as floating mega stations nationwide for the purpose of stocking products to ensure that the commission doesn’t suffer any encumbrances in the movement of personnel and materials for the elections.

“The second one is the currency issue. Again, we had an engagement yesterday with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. And he assured us that the commission will not suffer encumbrances on that score. Fortunately for us, all our accounts, national and state are with the apex bank.

“So, we raised those challenges and we have found a solution to those challenges.

“So, be rest assured that the elections will hold as scheduled on the 25th of February for the national and on the 11th of March for the state’s elections.”