The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Amb Abdu Zango, has announced that all necessary arrangements have been completed to conduct bye-elections for Kunchi/Tsanyawa, Kura/Garin Malam, and Rimin Gado/Tofa State House of Assembly on February 3.
It should be noted that the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja on September 30, ordered the rerun for the state assemblies in the six constituencies.
The affected constituencies are Kura/Garun Malam, Kunchi/Tsanyawa, and Rimin Gado/Tofa, in Kura, Garun Malam, Kunchi, Tsanyawa, Rimin Gado, and Tofa Local Government Areas of the State.
Ambassador Zango made this announcement on Tuesday while addressing stakeholders at the commission headquarters in Kano.
He added, “We are conducting elections in 66 polling units across the six local government areas. We are fully prepared for the bye-election with our trained electoral personnel ready to conduct a transparent and credible election.”
However, he warned, “Any person without a permanent voter’s card will not participate in the court bye-election.” The commission has already deployed sensitive and non-sensitive materials to all the affected local government areas.
According to him, the VIVAS Machine will be used during the re-run elections to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.
Ambassador Zango expressed confidence that the bye-election would be successful, stating, “We have prepared and equipped our personnel with basic electoral knowledge for the conduct of a free, fair, and transparent election on Feb. 3.”
The REC also commended the efforts of the Police for providing the required security before and during the bye-election.
Speaking on the occasion, the state Commissioner of Police (CP) Alhaji Hussaini Gumel, mentioned that the command had already put in place security measures to ensure the smooth implementation of all electoral processes in the affected local government areas.
Representing the CP, CSP Hamma Abdullahi stated that the police would be visible in all the polling units to enable eligible residents in the six local government areas to participate in the exercise without threats to lives and property.
He warned leaders of political parties participating in the election to impress on their supporters to shun all kinds of political violence, ballot snatching, and thuggery during the exercise.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
