The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano State says it is fully prepared for Saturday’s by-elections across affected constituencies, promising a free, fair, and credible exercise under tight security.
State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, gave the assurance while briefing journalists in Kano on Thursday.
He said all sensitive and non-sensitive materials had been dispatched to their designated locations, with trained personnel and security agencies ready for massive deployment.
Kano: “Materials and logistics in place”
According to him, electoral officers and ad-hoc staff will move materials to polling units late Friday night to ensure early morning set-up.
“We are good to go. Non-sensitive materials have been in the local governments for over three weeks, batched according to registration areas and polling units. Sensitive materials have also arrived and will be distributed to local governments this evening in the presence of party agents and security officers,” Zango stated.
He stressed that voting will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
The REC explained that the elections would be technology-driven, with the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) configured and tested for each polling unit.
“BVAS has been configured for almost two weeks, charged, checked, and is ready for deployment. It will be used side-by-side with the voters’ register. Accreditation figures will start at zero, and voter cards are mandatory. If your card is not recognised by BVAS, you will not vote,” he warned.
Zango emphasised that this approach would guarantee credibility and transparency in the process.
INEC says security agencies on alert
The commissioner said an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting involving all security agencies had assured INEC of adequate protection for voters, officials, and materials.
He revealed that over 1,400 ad-hoc staff had been deployed for the exercise.
Training for these staff members was completed over the past weekend, ensuring they are well-prepared for the task ahead.
