There were strong indications in Abuja on Monday that the Independent National Electoral Commission might for the third time, postpone the National Assembly elections in some senatorial districts and constituencies in nine states.
A very reliable source in INEC made this known just as THE PUNCH learnt that a fresh set of election materials, including ballot papers, arrived the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday night from China.
The source in INEC headquarters, a senior official who asked not to be named, explained that the planned shift was due to the fact that voting had taken place in some districts and constituencies before the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, announced that the April 2 poll had been halted nationwide.
Investigations by one of our correspondents on Monday revealed that apart from Lagos, the other states likely to be affected are Rivers, Ogun, Katsina, Ondo, Jigawa, Anambra, Gombe and Imo.
It was learnt that the other reasons that might be given for the third rescheduling of polls in the affected areas included the ommission of parties logos on ballot paper and shortages of other materials.
Also, it was learnt that the elections might be postponed where serious cases of omission of names in the voter register had occurred.
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, confirmed the imminent postponement of the National Assembly polls in some places he described as “isolated areas.”
Idowu said, “The commission had said that a proper audit of (ballot papers) would be taken. Where there are shortages, such that we cannot get enough ballot papers to go round, elections will be postponed in those areas.
“The chairman (Jega) said that by Thursday, places where elections will not be able to take place will be known.
“Voting took place in less than two per cent of the polling units in the country. If the quantum of ballot papers that were used is such that there would not be enough for fresh elections, the polls will be postponed in such areas. So, obviously, there are some areas where elections will not take place on Saturday.”
He said that where there were shortages of ballot papers it, would be impossible for the Commission to place order for another set between now and Saturday.
“The chairman said that those elections could be conducted along with the governorship elections or rescheduled for any other day around that time,” he added.
Idowu also said the death of the Action Congress of Nigeria House of Representatives candidates, in Katsina State, could lead to the postponement of Saturday’s poll in the constituency.
However, he allayed fears that ballot papers sent out on Saturday might have been hijacked by politicians. He added that the ballot papers sent out on that day were serially numbered.
“Let’s assume that they got into the wrong hands, of what use will they be? The system of voting we put in place is a system where people will stand in line and be accredited,” he added.
Also, Idowu disclosed that INEC had reported the vendor, which failed to deliver form EC84s to it in time, to the appropriate authorities for punishment. But he declined to disclose the identity of the contractor.
“The contractor has been reported and handed over to appropriate agencies that would seek for the enforcement of the contractual terms and apply the penalties agreed,” he said.
Meanwhile, a fresh set of election material, arrived the MMIA aboard a Boeing 747 aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabia Airlines.
A source at the airport said that the aircraft landed at about 10pm on Sunday.
He put the weight of the new materials at 30 tonnes, explaining that several tonnes had earlier arrived on Friday evening aboard the same carrier.
Another carrier, Cargolus Airlines, according to him, had also brought in some election materials into the country on Saturday morning.
The source, who asked not to be named, added, “There are other airlines that the Independent National Electoral Commission is using to bring the elections material into the country, not only Saudi Arabia Airlines.
“I think they are trying to bring in all the materials as quickly as possible. Some of the materials which came in aboard Saudi Arabia Airlines on Friday night were immediately transferred to one of the South-South states. The ones that came in last night (Sunday night) were cleared and taken away this morning (Monday).”
It was also learnt on Monday that more election materials were still being expected by INEC ahead of the commencement of the general elections on Saturday.
INEC had last Saturday cancelled the National Assembly elections due to a lack of sufficient election materials. Its Chairman, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, blamed the development on contractors and the crises in Libya and China.
He had announced that the poll would hold on Monday (yesterday) but on Sunday, he made a U-turn after a series of meetings with President Goodluck Jonathan, security agencies and the leaders of the 63 registered political parties in the country.
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