The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that voting will not take place in two polling units during the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State.
According to the INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, the reason for this decision is the absence of registered voters in those units.
He made this known on Tuesday at the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, on Anambra Governorship Election.
He said the Commission will deploy a total of 24,000 personnel for the polls and that election will hold in 5,718 of the 5720 PUs.
“We plan to deploy 24,000 personnel,” he said at the meeting on Tuesday.
“The election will be held in 5,718 of the 5,720 Polling Units in the state; voting will not take place in the remaining two Polling Units due to the absence of registered voters.”
Speaking on behalf of the ICCES, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who was represented by Hassan Abdullahi, said that robust security measures are being put in place to ensure a hitch-free election.
“These include enhanced surveillance, the deployment of sufficient security personnel, and improved intelligence gathering to prevent any attempt by disruptive elements or desperate politicians to undermine the electoral process,” he said.
“Moreover, we are proactively engaging with political party leaders and local stakeholders to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated in our elections.
“All participating political parties and their candidates must advocate for peace and encourage their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that honours the integrity of our electoral system.
“Any form of violence during the elections will be met with a strong, uncompromising response.”