INEC ready for Kano Assembly bye-election, says REC
The Independent National Electoral Commission in Kano said it has completed necessary arrangements for the conduct of the by-election for Kunchi/Tsanyawa, Kura/Garin Malam and Rimin Gado/Tofa State Assembly bye-elections slated for February 3.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Abdu Zango, disclosed this while addressing stakeholders at the commission’s headquarters in Kano on Tuesday.
“We are fully ready for the bye-election with our trained electoral personnel ready to conduct a transparent and credible election for the conduct of bye-elections in six local government areas.
“We are conducting elections in 66 polling units across the six local government areas of the state.
“Any person without a permanent voter card will not be allowed to participate in the forthcoming bye-election,” he said.
He said that already the commission had deployed sensitive and non-sensitive materials to all the affected local government areas.
Zango explained that the BIVAS machine would be used during the re-run elections aimed at ensuring free, fair and credible elections.
He expressed confidence that the bye-election would be hitch-free and successful at the end of the day.
“We have prepared and equipped our personnel with basic electoral knowledge for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections come February 3,” he said.
The REC lauded the Police for providing the required security personnel who would provide security during the bye-election.
In his remarks, the State Police Commissioner, Usaini Gumel said the command had already put in place security measures to ensure hitch-free electoral processes in the affected local Government Areas.
Gumel, Represented by CSP Hamma Abdullahi, said that the police would be visible in all the polling units to enable eligible residents in the six local government areas to participate in the exercise without threat to lives and property.
He warned leaders of political parties that would be participating in the election to prevail on their supporters to shun all kinds of political violence, ballot snatching and thuggery during the exercise.
“Police will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any person or group of persons found disrupting the peaceful political atmosphere the state is known for,” he said
