INEC: We won’t count votes in polling units where there’s violence

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not count votes in any polling unit where violence occurs during the governorship election in Bayelsa state.

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital.

Yakubu, represented by May Agbamuche-Mbu, INEC national commissioner supervising Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers, said the commission would deploy BIVAS to all polling units for the election.

“I want to let you know that our BIVAS have been customized for INEC, so INEC details and the name of the parties are on the BIVAS, so any BIVAS you see without INEC details cannot be from INEC,” he said.

“Another thing, we have all the list of the serial number of the BIVAS we are going to use, the result sheets will be signed at the polling units.

“Where there is violence, it will be zero, we will not return to that polling unit to conduct election.

“We have recruited and carefully trained all category of ad-hoc staff to be deployed to the field, all non sensitive materials have been distributed to all the eight local government area offices of the state, voter education and sensitization is ongoing.

“We have made arrangement for the transportation of personnel and materials to ensure that polling unit open on schedule on election day.”

He added that for effective supervision of the process, INEC will deploy two national commissioners and eight resident electoral commissioners to support the office in Bayelsa.

“I wish to assure you of our commitment to free, fair and credible election come Saturday,” he added.

Also speaking, Tolani Alausa, the state commissioner of police, said the force is fully prepared to ensure a peaceful election on Saturday.

Represented by Ijamah Daniel, deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations, Alausa said the force would deploy enough personnel for the election.

“In every polling unit, we are going to deploy three to six personnel, outside that, the IGP has deployed as much as 21 unit of mobile police force,” he said.

“Under tactical unit like the special force, the counter terrorism unit, special protection unit are all coming to Bayelsa.

“I will advise every one of us to be law abiding, because we are prepared to withstand any type of challenge that will arise, we are equal to the task.”