INEC Reveals Plan For Inconclusive, Supplementary Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday expressed its intention to end inconclusive and supplementary elections in Kebbi State.

Recall that the governorship election held on the 18th of March, 2023, in Kebbi State ended inconclusively.

The Collation and Returning Officer of the election in Kebbi, Yusuf Sa’idu, a professor at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, declared the election inconclusive following the keenly contested election between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye while speaking in Birnin Kebbi noted that the electoral body will end inconclusive elections in the state.

Sensitive materials were distributed to the affected Polling units in 20 Local Government Areas of the state on Friday.

He said, “We are conducting supplementary elections for Governorship, two federal constituencies and eight houses of assembly elections. We have finished distributing sensitive materials for the elections and these sensitive materials comprise ballot papers, results sheets and BVAs for accreditation.

”We have also had a stakeholders engagement for political parties and Civil Societies. We have explained to them the rudiment of these elections and the places where these elections will take place. And they fully observed the sensitivity of these elections and the fact it is a supplementary election that has been indicated.

“The REC has held a series of engagements with security agencies and they have promised that they have the courage, and resources to deploy personnel to all areas where these supplementary elections will take place. They have also put additional resources from neighbouring states around Kebbi State.

“On our part, the chairman of the Commission has deployed three national Commissioners to Kebbi State because of the number of elections we have in the state. Because of this, he deployed additional staff and so, most of our staff are going to serve as supervising officers, Acting as LG officers.

“We are not going to have supplementary -Supplementary elections. We are going to put an end to these elections right tomorrow and by Sunday, the people of Kebbi will know who their Governor-elect is. We are going to have a conclusive election in the Kebbi North Senatorial election and a Conclusion into two Federal Constituencies and 8 State Assembly elections.

“In terms of preparation, we are fully prepared for this election.”

Okoye disclosed that INEC has reconfigured the BVAs deployed for the election.

He added, “BVAs have been reconfigured for these elections. We have never had problems with voter registration and accreditation. The BVAS are performing wonderfully okay for the purposes of accreditation and registration. I have also spoken with ICT people and they have assured the Commission that they are ready for the uploading of results from polling units from tomorrow.

“We have supplementary elections, supplementary in Senatorial election, we have Supplementary in Federal Constituency and supplementary in 8 State Assembly election. For the purposes of the Governorship election, the election will take place in 20 out of 21 LGAs, starting in 142 polling units. We are going to have an election in Senatorial election and Federal Constituency and 8 State Assembly.”