The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it would not allow voters make use of their mobile phones during the presidential electoral process on Saturday, February 25.
Following a meeting on Wednesday with security agencies ahead of polls, Niyi Ijalaye, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ogun State, made the disclosure while interacting with in Abeokuta.
The REC said it would be a criminal offence should voters make use of their mobile phones at the polling centres, stressing that the development was part of the measures to guide against vote buying during the elections.
According to him, voters would not be allowed to make phone calls, take pictures with their phones when casting their votes.
He further expressed the readiness of the Commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections with the help of the various security agencies and other stakeholders.
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“Maybe I need to emphasise this also that on voting day, when people come to the polling booths with their phones, when they approach the polling officer and they want to go in with their phones, they will not be allowed to use their phones to discuss with people or take pictures at that polling point where they will be voting. It is an offence, it is a crime and it will not be allowed.
“We have been strategising and re-strategising on ways forward to ensure that elections in Ogun State will be devoid of rancor or violence of any sort whatsoever.
“That is what we have been doing and we want to seize this opportunity to appeal to the good people of Ogun State, the gateway state, to endeavor to just come out peacefully on Saturday and exercise their franchise, their civic responsibility to vote for people, candidates and parties of their choice.
“On no account will violence of any sort be tolerated in this state and that is what we have been discussing in the last two, three hours.’’
Frank Mba, the State’s commissioner of police, however called on security personnel deployed for the election to maintain their political neutrality and provide a level playing ground for all the political parties.
