The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the recent increase in the price of petrol will not affect the conduct of the Edo governorship election.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this while fielding questions from journalists during the pre-election press briefing in Abuja.
Mr Oyekanmi said the commission was already meeting with officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to discuss the new development.
“Well, first of all, I am aware that the commission, in the last few days, met with NURTW officials to discuss this matter, and I am confident that a resolution was reached.
“Of course, when you plan an election, there is what is called contingency, because you don't know what can happen. There could be changes and all that.
“So we don’t expect carriers to operate at a loss. If oil prices have gone up, for example, and they now want some increase, that could be discussed.”
“As I said, I was not part of the meeting, but the meeting took place and I am sure some agreement was reached.
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“We have to hold those elections, so I don't think that will cause any problems,” he said.
Provisions for persons with disabilities
On the commission’s preparations for the participation of Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in the elections, Mr. Oyekanmi said INEC would continue to do everything possible to assist PWDs in exercising their right to vote.
He said that while the facilities, mostly public ones like schools, used as polling stations may not be built specifically for people with disabilities, election officials have been trained to offer them the assistance they need to cast their ballots.
“Normally, our presidents are trained that when they see someone in a wheelchair or someone considered to be a disabled person, that person goes straight to the front of the queue, and Nigerians cooperate with us on that.
“For example, we give that respect to elderly people, people in wheelchairs, people with special needs and people who are physically pregnant, not to people who put something in their stomach,” he said.
Measures in force against fraud
Mr Oyekanmi also said that INEC has put in place measures to prevent cases of pre-filled vote-sheets witnessed in Kogi from recurring in Edo or future elections anywhere in the country.
“I can assure you that the commission has taken active steps to ensure that this does not happen again.
“Our records cannot be falsified because they are tailor-made. They have security features and no one knows what those security features will be.
“So, INEC has been able to perfect that aspect, that if you go ahead and print the results sheets, you have simply wasted your time because you will not have access to what we have and you will not be able to take advantage of it.
“Once again, our resource management process addresses this type of misbehavior,” Oyekanmi said.
He also assured Nigerians that it would not be possible to collate results in any polling unit where elections are not being held in Edo.
“That is not possible because if elections are not held in a place, information must be provided,” he explained.
Mr Oyekanmi said there was no electoral unit with zero voters in Edo, hence the expectation that the elections would be held in all the electoral units in the state.
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“All polling stations will be used, more than 4,500, so there will be no polling station without voters.
“However, if the election does not take place for one reason or another, of course, the President has a duty to report that,” Oyekanmi said.
(YAYA)