Kaduna, Bauchi now conducive for elections tomorrow – INEC

Posted by admin Bauchi, Elections 2011, INEC Politics, Kaduna, NNP Elections 2011 Updates, State News Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday in Abuja, said the current atmosphere in Kaduna and Bauchi states was conducive for the conduct of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

Prince Solomon Soyebi, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity, told newsmen that there was no reason to further shift the date of elections in the two states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that INEC had shifted the date of elections in the two states from April 26 to April 28 because of the post-presidential election violence recorded in the states.

“The commission has put every measure in place to ensure we have very successful elections so as not to breach the constitution, and also to have a very secure atmosphere for the elections,’’ Soyebi said.

He said INEC was working closely with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Elections Security to guarantee secured elections.

“We have been assured that, from all the indications, the atmosphere in these two states are becoming conducive for the conduct of elections and that is why we are going ahead.

“We are trying to avoid a situation where a state of emergency will be declared in any part of the country.

“It is within our power, but we will try our best to make sure that we avoid it, and that’s why elections had earlier been postponed there,’’ Soyebi said.

He said INEC had made preparations for more personnel, as it had been ensuring that permanent staff from the neighbouring states were deployed in the states.

“At the same time, we are making sure we make use of our reserve of trained personnel in the two states, especially from the tertiary institutions.

“We want to assure Nigerians that personnel will not be a problem there,” Soyebi said.

-Tribunewp_posts