The Independent National Electoral Commission will on Wednesday (today) begin distribution of sensitive materials for Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly electionsThe Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, who disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday, said that non-essential materials had been distributed before the elections were rescheduled.
The sensitive materials include ballot papers and forms for writing results, while non-sensitive materials include ballot boxes, voting cubicles, pen, ink, staple machines and stamp pads.
“They (non-essential materials) were distributed to states ahead of the rescheduling of March 8,” Idowu said.
He added, “Non-sensitive materials were deployed some while ago, while deployment of sensitive materials will commence Wednesday, March 25. They are in respective vault of the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) offices in states, so they are already in the states.
“When they are taken out of the CBN vaults in the presence of party agents and observers, deployment begins down the line from INEC state offices – with accompaniment by security agents, party agents and observers.”
On the deployment of the military for elections, he said, “The Commission has never used soldiers during elections. Soldiers are usually restricted to the role spelt out for them in the Nigerian Constitution.”
