INEC to Publish Register of Voters Next Monday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it will on October 14 officially publish the register of voters and present it to all the political parties sponsoring candidates for Bayelsa and Kogi State governorship elections scheduled for November 16, 2019.

The events, INEC said, would take place at the Commission's offices in Yenagoa for Bayelsa State and Lokoja for Kogi State, and will be presided over by the Supervising National Commissioners (SNCs) of INEC and assisted by the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the respective states.

INEC said in a statement signed by its National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education,  Festus Okoye, that a total of 45 political parties would partake in the governorship election in Bayelsa State while 23 would contest in Kogi State, being those who are sponsoring validly nominated candidates.

According to INEC, "As we continue the countdown to the elections in the two states, the Commission wishes to remind the political parties that November 2, 2019, is the last day for submission of names of Polling Agents for the election to the Electoral Officers (Eos) in the two states while November 14  is the last day for campaigns.

"We, therefore, appeal to all candidates to avoid comments capable of inciting violence and instilling fear in the people during their campaigns."

Okoye stated during a sensitisation programme at the Federal College of Education, Okene, that the Commission would recruit 16, 139 ad-hoc staff for the Kogi State governorship election taking place on November 16.

He said the ad-hoc staff would work as polling clerks, presiding officers, assistant presiding officers among others at the 2,548 polling units in 239 wards across the state.

The programme titled: ‘Youth Votes Count’ was organised by INEC in partnership with the European Commission for Electoral Support (ECES).

Okoye explained further that the Commission had created 3,508 voting polling points for the state 1, 646,350 registered voters, announcing that all non-sensitive materials for the election were already in the state, while the sensitive ones will arrive two weeks to the election.

The INEC commissioner said the outreach programme was to sensitise staff and students of the institution who were going to be among the ad-hoc staff to be recruited.

He explained that all the ad-hoc staff would be trained to enable them to handle the assignment effectively.

“Your training is not transferable. If you cannot meet up, step out; it is an individual thing, we want to do things seamlessly,” he said, charging the students to resist being used as thugs during the election.