Joash Amupitan, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has promised a peaceful, transparent, and credible Anambra governorship election scheduled for Saturday in the state.
Mr Amupitan made the promise during a visit to INEC’s state office in Awka on Monday, ahead of the stakeholders’ meeting.
“Our responsibility is to the people of this nation. We are fully prepared to deliver an election that is fair, credible, and reflective of the people’s will,” he said.
Mr Amupitan urged all stakeholders to work together in support of a seamless process, cautioning against any attempt by “vested interests” to discredit the electoral process.
He said that INEC remains focused and undeterred in discharging its constitutional mandate.
The INEC chairman underscored the central role of collaboration with political parties, security agencies, civil society groups, and the media in guaranteeing the success of the election.
“We are committed to carrying every stakeholder along in this process. Transparency and partnership remain the bedrock of our credibility,” he said.
Mr Amupitan said that all election materials must arrive at the polling units by 7:00 a.m., and the election must commence at 8:30 a.m. without delay.
He added that collation must take place in the presence of party agents, and collated results must align precisely with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System records.
Mr Amupitan said that strong security arrangements had been instituted to safeguard personnel, voters, and materials throughout the process.
He expressed INEC’s operational capacity, vigilance, and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process during the election.
Elizabeth Agwu, the INEC resident electoral commissioner in the state, while providing an operational update for the election, confirmed that all non-sensitive materials had been distributed to the 21 local government areas of the state.
Ms Agwu also disclosed that the BVAS had been fully configured, tested, and was ready for deployment.
“We have left nothing to chance. From the training of personnel to the deployment of materials, every necessary step has been taken to ensure a smooth, credible, and technology-driven election.
”Generators have also been deployed to ensure uninterrupted power supply at critical locations,” she said.
(NAN)