INEC gives fresh update on Bayelsa bye-elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is about 80 percent ready to conduct the bye-elections into the vacant Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West senatorial districts on October 31.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe, stated this on Friday during a press conference on the commission’s preparation for the polls at the INEC office, Yenagoa.

He said 13 political parties were contesting in the bye-elections, which would hold in 1,200 polling units in the five local government areas of Southern Ijaw, Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma (Bayelsa Central), and Sagbama and Ekeremor (Bayelsa West).

Omorogbe said INEC had commenced the recruitment of ad hoc staff for the exercise, adding the commission had also made adequate preparations for logistics in terms of transporting personnel and materials.

Omorogie stated: “At this point, we are about 80 percent ready for the elections. Eighty percent in the sense that the items that are yet to be delivered to us, we cannot count as if we have received them.

“But on our part, in terms of preparation, we have done everything possible to make sure that we conduct free, fair, and credible elections.”

The REC further said that non-sensitive materials would be conveyed to the election areas shortly before the day of the bye-elections.

According to him, the results of the exercise will be transmitted electronically from the polling units to a central collation platform of INEC as was done in the just-concluded Edo State governorship election.

Omorogbe added on Election Day, all voters must wear a face mask and also observe other COVID-19 safety protocols as accreditation and voting would be done simultaneously.

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