INEC deploys 9 additional RECs to Imo for guber poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deployed nine additional Residents Electoral Commissioners (REC) to Imo for Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday in Owerri.

The meeting was attended by governorship candidates, chairmen, and secretaries of the political parties participating in the election as well as representatives of Civil Society Organisations.

Yakubu, who was represented at the meeting by the National Commissioner in charge of the South-East, Mr. Kenneth Ukeagu, said the RECs were drawn from Cross Rivers, Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Oyo, Katsina, Gombe and Yobe States.

He also said the commission’s Administrative Secretary in Ekiti was among those deployed to provide supervisory support at the local government level.

The INEC chief allayed the fear that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had been compromised.

Yakubu said: “We have configured the BVAS and carried out mock accreditation in the state.

“There will be no foreign figures in the BVAS at the polling units.

“We are confident that BVAS will work effectively.”

READ ALSO: 137,973 agents to participate in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi governorship election – INEC

He also dismissed insinuations by some stakeholders that the collation centers had been moved from the designated centers to local government headquarters.

The INEC chief revealed that non-sensitive materials had been conveyed to the commission’s offices in the 27 local government areas of the state.

“The commission has mobilised the National Union of Road Transport Workers to ensure timely movement of election materials to the polling units,” he added.

On the demand for the redeployment of the Imo State REC, Prof. Sylvia Agu, the chairman said that such transfer or removal could only be done if there was evidence of the allegations against her.

“We have to be convinced with evidence that she has done wrong before we can take action.

“As it stands now, we have no reason to remove the Imo REC,” Yakubu stated.

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