×

Electoral Materials Distribution Delayed In Edo, Taraba, Other States

  Advertisement Few hours to the start of the 2019 general elections, the distribution of sensitive voting materials has yet to commence in Edo and … Continue reading Electoral Materials Distribution Delayed In Edo, Taraba, Other States


Electoral Materials Distribution Delayed In Edo, Taraba, Other States

Electoral Materials Distribution Delayed In Edo, Taraba, Other States

 

Few hours to the start of the 2019 general elections, the distribution of sensitive voting materials has yet to commence in Edo and Taraba States.

The sensitive materials which consist of ballot papers and collation sheets for the Presidential and National Assembly elections to be conducted on Saturday are said to still be within the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party agents were seen waiting to monitor the movement of the voting materials, which have yet to be taken out of the CBN office as at 9pm on Friday.

READ ALSOHow 409,000 IDPs, Others Will Vote In Borno – INEC

One of the party agents told Channels Television that they had been at the CBN office, located on Akpakpava Road in Benin City since 8am, vowing that they would not leave until the materials were taken out.

A long queue of buses was also seen on both sides of the road, waiting to convey the INEC materials to the 18 local government areas of the state.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Emmanuel Hart, who was part of those waiting for the election materials, alongside party agents, security operatives and local observers, blamed the delay on the absence of collation sheets which were still being expected from Asaba, the Delta State capital.

Taraba

A similar scenario was also witnessed in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, where the sensitive materials arrived late for onward distribution to the various local government headquarters from where they would be taken to the council wards and eventually to polling centres.

 

Jigawa

The distribution of sensitive materials also commenced in the late hours in Jigawa State, where Channels Television crew monitored the transportation of the materials from the INEC headquarters to Dutse Local Government office in the state capital.

The sensitive materials were accompanied by a team of police personnel who also provided security for the INEC staff to their various destinations across the local government area.

 

Nasarawa

At almost 10pm on Friday, INEC in Nasarawa State has yet to begin the distribution of election materials to the 13 local government areas of the state, as the materials were still being sorted out at the state branch of the CBN.

INEC takes delivery of sensitive materials to Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital amid tight security on February 15, 2019.

 

Oyo

At about the same time, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke, said all the ballot papers and other materials for the Presidential and National Assembly elections were being awaited at the CBN premises.

Mr Agboke said alternative arrangements had been made to get the items to the designated local government areas over the night amidst tight security.