The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out postponing the governorship election in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa State following a boat accident in which electoral materials were lost on Friday.
The boat conveying election materials and the commission’s personnel to Sagbama LGA had capsized after leaving Amassoma Jetty on Friday evening.
Although no life was lost but election materials, including sensitive ones as well as personal belongings of the commission’s staff, were lost in the incident.
However, speaking with LEADERSHIP in Yenagoa on Saturday, the INEC national commissioner in-charge of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers State, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, said the commission was making efforts to conduct the election in Sagbama local government area despite the incident.
Agbamuche-Mbu said: “The commission has said all efforts will be put in place to make sure election holds. Although, I am not the officer supervising that area, but the Commission has put all efforts to ensure that election holds in that area.”
Read Also: Kogi Poll: Original Voting Sheets Missing In Okene, Okehi, Adavi LGAs — Ajaka
She also rated the ongoing governorship election in the state as peaceful despite the large turn-out of voters at various polling units across the state.
The national commissioner noted: “The election is peaceful so far. In spite of the fact that there is crowd, but it is peaceful. The turn-out is massive.”
Agbamuche-Mbu stated that the early arrival of election materials to polling units and accreditation and voting was part of INEC initiative to ensure free, fair and credible election.
She added: “Starting polls early was initiated by the Commission through deploying election materials to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) a day before and the personnel slept over at the RACs and sharing and deployment should be done early too to facilitate the whole thing so that the polls will not be delayed.”
