Journalists Question INEC Chairman On Safety Of Election Materials

At today’s briefing by the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Materials, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, pelted him with questions on the sanctity and safety of next Saturdays Presidential and National Assembly Elections in view of media reports about alleged wrongly delivered ballot and election results sheets in parts of the country.

At least three media representatives from The Punch, Peoples Daily and Aljazera asked the INEC chairman to assure Nigerians the election would hold as scheduled in view of media reports that some electoral materials were delivered to the wrong locations.

While responding, Prof. Yakubu said it was not unusual to have election materials meant for a state delivered to another state, adding that this had also happened in previous elections.

He noted that such cases were very few and that the materials had been delivered to the right places.

He stressed that Nigerians should entertain no fears about the safety of election materials has they are in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Responding to a question from a reporter who asked: “Reports have shown that sensitive materials made for Lagos were found in Kwara state and vice versa”, the INEC boss said any parcel of material which were mistakenly exchanged will be immediately delivered to the particular state.

“The movement of materials is handled by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and any parcel which belongs to any state will be delivered to the state,” he said.

 On another question on whether the commission has fears that its election plans might be sabotaged, Prof. Yakubu said the Commission entertained no such fears, and that there was no reason for it to have such fears.

He also re-iterated that INEC was ready for the February 23 election, adding that by the end of today electoral materials would have been fully deployed to the states except Bayelsa, which would be by tomorrow Friday.