The Edo State Resident Electoral Commission (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Mr Mike Igini has expressed worry that politicians are making frantic attempts to infiltrate adhoc staff of the Commission. Igini complained that National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members have brought reports that they are being approached with a view to manipulate the elections.
He however vowed that the INEC was set to eliminate rigging in the forthcoming general elections, and admonished politicians to look for popular candidates else they will lose the elections no matter how they try to manipulate the process.
Igini made this disclosure Friday in Benin City, during a meeting with leaders of political parties in the state. According to him, “If you look at the history of INEC, they started making use of civil servants at the state level, primary school teachers as obtained in other part of the world. But because of the level of collusion, connivance INEC decided to go into partnership with NYSC as well as other Federal agencies.
“What do we find today, political class, politicians are now doing everything to infiltrate the NYSC. As you can see fake Corpers these days. Because of the shift we are going to do a refresher course for them again, particularly for the NYSC people. I don’t know what this country is turning into. Are we now going to apply to God to send us agents that will conduct the elections?
“Political parties of their leaders should go and look for good candidates, go and look for popular candidates. If you are in office you have to work because salvation cometh only from the electorate and not from INEC officials, don’t bother yourself. With this card readers, no room for thumb printing, no room for snatching of ballot papers. This card readers are the audit train required by the collation officers.
“These card readers will tell you what happened at the polling units. It does not appear to me that politicians know what is ahead of them, if they know the debate about postponement, they will not bother about them because there are so many things to be done. Everything that goes not at the polling unit goes to our central server. There will be no rigging as people are plotting or thinking.
“Politicians must understand that indeed Nigeria can do what is needed to take our country outside the limits so that we will not remain a nation celebrated only in terms of potentials. Results will be pasted at the polling units. The will of the people expressed through the ballot papers is what will count. We have over and again reiterated our commitment that we are trying to do the right thing at all time, to put INEC at the service of the Nigerian people.
“Never again time has gone when the umpire, the institution was an instrument for manipulation for victory. It is today a national institution committed to the conduct of a free and fair election to keep our democracy ever young”.
He further explained the level of preparedness of the INEC in the state, and urged political parties to persuade their supporters to pick the Permanent Voters Card (PCV).
His words: “In Edo state we have received a total of 3,675 card readers. In Edo state we have 2,627 poling units. We have configured a total of 3,675 the requirements of polling units have been surpassed. In the event of a failure of a card reader there will be a replacement immediately. Nigeria has a total of 120,000 polling units. We over 1, 800 of the card readers. All the RAs in Nigeria, the voting points there will be a card reader for each.
“On none sensitive materials, we have been receiving many of these materials. Which are ballot boxes, none sensitive ballot boxes, the ink, stamp, pens, life jackets to take care of the ugly and unfortunate development that happened at Ologbo in the last election, where we lost lives. We have the responsibility to ensure that all those that were engaged to work with us we must protect their lives. Particularly when these our young men and women, their families have invested in,who have graduated from universities that we lost in the last elections.
“ Never again will such a thing repeat itself under our watch. We all know that we engaged adult staff to conduct elections. As a matter of fact, whatever we want Nigeria to be is completely in our hands. INEC total staff strength nationwide is about 13, 000. But for this election, we are going to engage well over 900,000 people. Out of the 13, 000and above that we have in INEC, those who will be engaged in electoral activities are very few. In Edo state, we are just about 339 staff. And on Election Day, most of these people are not involved in the election process because some work in the office.
“In this state, we need a total of 15,571 to conduct election. What INEC been doing are things that should be understood clearly, that whatever is the outcome of the election, to be seen as the reflection of who we are and what we want for our country. Because the truth of the matter is that all the preparation we are doing today, on Election Day who are those who conduct election? It is the Nigeria people that actually conducts election.
“We have signed MOU with the National Union of Road Transport Workers to help us convey our materials to polling units. We signed the MOU at the national level and it goes down to the Local Government level. They will help us distribute materials so that if any thing goes wrong we know who to blame” he stated.
