The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Niger State, Ahmed Garki, has confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is fully prepared for the forthcoming bye-election in Munya Local Government Area.
While handing over sensitive election materials to stakeholders at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch in Minna, Garki explained that the commission had involved the media throughout the process to guarantee transparency.
“What you are seeing today is the second-to-last stage of the process. The sensitive materials here have been checked and confirmed by the CBN and will be sent directly to Munya Local Government,” he said.
Garki added that, over the past two weeks, INEC had trained Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) I, II, and III. Training for some categories of staff concluded yesterday, while others are still ongoing.
“These are both permanent and ad-hoc staff we usually deploy for elections. For this poll, we will send over 500 ad-hoc personnel, supported by our permanent staff. The BVAS machines are fully charged, configured, and ready to be activated,” he stated.
On behalf of all political parties, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Niger State, Bello Maikujeri, expressed confidence in INEC’s preparations.
“All 11 wards in Munya have been covered, and the sensitive materials are available for inspection by all political parties. We urge all parties to follow the law to ensure a peaceful and cordial election,” Maikujeri said.
Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ellema, also pledged that security agencies were ready to guarantee a smooth election.
“We have inspected both the sensitive and non-sensitive materials, and everything is intact. These materials will be protected until the election ends. We have deployed adequate personnel from both conventional and sister security agencies. Operational plans are in place, and there will be no security breaches,” Ellema assured.
He explained that some areas had been merged for administrative efficiency, noting that there were no security threats in those locations, and emphasised that all parts of Munya would be fully secured.
The Munya bye-election will be conducted under tight security, with full participation from all stakeholders.