INEC affirms readiness for transparency in 2 by-elections in Cross River

The Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Cross River, Dr Emmanuel Hart, says the commission is ready to conduct free, fair and transparent process during the Oct. 31, Senatorial and State Assembly by-elections in the state.

He said this in Monday in Calabar at a meeting with the media and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee for Election Security (ICCES) as part of readiness for the forthcoming elections.

The by-elections are in Cross River North Senatorial district to replace the late Sen. Rose Oko and in Obudu state constituency which had the late Assemblyman Godwin Akwaji as its legislator.

“We have 459,487 registered voters; 51 registeration areas; and 565 polling units,” Hart said.

According to him, the commission has taken delivery of non-sensitive materials and distributed them to the local government areas.

“We are waiting for the sensitive materials which are expected in the week of the election,” he said.

He also said that 15 political parties would participate in the elections: nine for the senatorial election and six for the house of assembly election.

The commissioner said that accreditation and voting would be done simultanuously during the elections, adding that results would be transmitted electronically at ward levels.

He said that the commission had embarked on awareness and sensitisation of the electorate in the zone to come out en masse to vote candidates of their choice.

He advised the voters to conduct themselves peacefully during the elections, saying that the commission would not condone any violent act or actions that could breach the orderly and smooth conduct of the elections.

On his part, the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Mr Abdulkadir Jimoh, said his command was ready to ensure peace and security before, during and after the elections.

Major political parties taking part in the elections include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC).