*sensitive materials to be shared today
*379 collation officers, 37 returning officers engaged
*13 observer groups accredited

Arase with INEC chairman, Yakubu at the press confab in Abuja

INEC chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu has given the assurance that the commission has taken every measure and precaution to ensure free, fair and credible election in Rivers state on Saturday.

He said that all personnel involved in the election have been warned against compromising the processes and procedures in any way, adding that “violators will be severely sanctioned.’’

Yakubu appealed to all political actors in Rivers to avoid statements and actions capable of breaching public peace so that the people of the state could choose their representatives in peace.

He said that INEC had engaged 24,930 ad hoc staff drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and students of three tertiary institutions for the exercise.

The institutions, according to him, are University of Port Harcourt, the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku and the Federal University in Otuoke, Bayelsa.

“ In addition, we have engaged a total 379 Collation Officers and 37 Returning Officers from the three tertiary institutions mentioned earlier on the recommendations of their Vice Chancellors and Provost who vouched for their integrity.

“ Let me assure all Nigerians that INEC will never recruit Election Duty personnel in a partisan manner, ‘’ he said.

Yakubu who said that the training of poll officials would be rounded off on Friday, added that the card readers to be used for the election had been configured and charged.

He said that all non-sensitive materials for the election had been deployed to each of the 23 local government areas, adding that the sensitive materials will be distributed today.

Yakubu added that three National Commissioners and six Resident Electoral Commissioners had also been deployed for election duty in the state.

“In addition to these arrangements, lNEC has accredited 13 groups, including the British High Commission and the US Embassy for Election Observation on their own request, to monitor the exercise.’’

He said that the re-run elections taking place in 37 constituencies comprising three senatorial districts, 12 federal and 22 state constituencies.

“The elections will hold in all the 23 local government areas of the state comprising 319 wards or registration areas and a total of 5,942 polling units and voting points,‘’ he added.