Ifako/Ijaiye bye-election,INEC  95 percent ready

By Lanre Adesanya

Prior to the eventual conduct of the bye-election in Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency, Lagos slated to hold on the 3rd of December, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scored itself 95 percent on level of preparedness.

INEC Administrative Secretary of in the state, Mr Clement Oha, made this disclosure during a chat with newsmen while on a visit to the commission office at Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government.

Oha said that he decided to come to the local government where the election would hold to assess level of preparations.

According to him, he is satisfied with the way the INEC officers at the council are getting ready for the poll.

The INEC boss said, “We have made adequate provision for staff and their training, as well as the election materials. We have been sensitising the people and parties.

“We have also been liaising with the security agents and we will be meeting them very soon.

“If I am to assess our preparations, I will say that we are now 95 per cent ready for the poll in Lagos . We have all our logistics ready. We have prepared twice the number of card readers needed.

“We have mapped out the Registration Area Centres (RACs) and the collation centres have been identified and prepared as well as the training venues.”

He added that commission would ensure adequate distribution staff and election materials for a successful election.

Assuring stakeholders of the commission’s commitment to conduct of a free and fair election by giving all parties a level playing field, urged the party leaders to warn their followers against violence.

“On our part we are ready, party leaders should go and tell their supporters and followers to be orderly and peaceful.

“They should cast their vote and go home and if they want to to wait and monitor and observe, there is no problem, only that there should be no violence.

“We have every assurance that the people we will be using on that day will deliver an election everyone will be proud of,” he said.

He also affirmed that the election would be conclusive, adding that the accreditation and voting would be held simultaneously.

 Six political parties would be participating in the bye-election  these includes: Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), African Democratic Party (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Thus far the commission has assembled more than 1500 Card Readers for the forthcoming bye-election for a seamless accreditation exercise.

It would be recalled that Hon.Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives, died in Abuja on July 20 and INEC has fixed Dec. 3 for the bye-election into the vacant seat.