The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, affirmed its readiness for Saturday’s supplementary rerun election in Kogi West senatorial district.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state, Prof. James Apam, said the Commission was ready for Kogi West Senatorial and Ajaokuta Federal Constituency supplementary elections.
He, however, said that sensitive materials would be deployed on Friday, a day before the election.
Meanwhile, people of Kogi West have appealed to the INEC to improve its level of preparation and conduct in order to avoid a repeat of what happened in the November 16 supplementary rerun election in the area.
Ahead of Saturday’s election, the stakeholders at a forum organised by the INEC in Lokoja told the Commission that the violence witnessed in the November 16 election across the state was shameful and should not be repeated.
The Director of National Issues of Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samuel Owolabi, pleaded with INEC, saying, “if the election will not be greeted with apathy on Saturday, the commission should in collaboration the security agencies ensure the safety of lives and property on Saturday.
“What happened last Saturday was nothing but a civil war, where guns were freely used on those they were meant to be protected by the security agencies. I’m kneeling before God and you INEC officials not to allow what happened in the November 16 election repeat itself.”
Also speaking, Simon Eneojo of Justice Development and Peace Commission, decried the involvement of security agencies in the crisis and urged INEC to look for alternative means of securing lives and property during the supplementary election as the police had reportedly failed in this responsibility.
