INEC to politicians: we don’t need your help on logistics

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday warned politicians and political parties in Bayelsa State against volunteering any logistical support to the commission.

INEC insisted that it had made adequate arrangements for the forthcoming general elections and would not accept any help from politicians.

Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, the Bayelsa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Cyril Omorogbe, also warned politicians, party supporters and political parties against violence.

He said the commission would not tolerate hijack of electoral materials,   logistics intervention and sponsoring of political thugs to frustrate the electoral process.

Omorogbe said INEC would deal with miscreants, hoodlums, political thugs and their sponsors.

“INEC is ready to drag any desperate politician through the mud if found wanting”, he said adding that the commission was prepared for free and fair elections.

On the commission’s logistics preparedness, he noted that arrangements had been made with different transport companies and more plans were still ongoing insisting that politicians must keep off from all the arrangements.

He said: “We don’t expect any politician to lay hands, render assistance or interfere with issues of logistics. Anyone caught handling materials that they are not expected to handle will be arrested. Their jobs are not to handle our materials”.

Speaking on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the REC said the commission distributed 108,520 out of the 295,318 received from the National Secretariat.

He, however, said that 186,798 about 40 per cent of the PVCs were uncollected in the state.

He promised to achieve 90 per cent distribution of PVCs with the new ward-to-ward strategy put in place by the commission.

Omorogbe said the commission had also commenced training of ad-hoc employees for the elections.

Also speaking, the Administrative Secretary, INEC, Mr.  Lebari Sampson Nduh, assured the people of the state of the commission’s commitment to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent elections in the state.

He called on the residents to own the process and resist every form of intimidation and rigging.

He warned against youths being used as political thugs in formenting violence in the state and warned hoodlums to stay away from the process.