*As INEC boss, REC contradict selves

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the results of the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states will be transmitted electronically.

Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ofiong Efanga, recently, at a press conference, said that the commission would adopt a manual mode of transmission of the governorship election results.

But INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, during the monitoring of the mock election in Lokoja Kogi State on Saturday, said whatever the Bayelsa REC must be disregarded.

He said: “The method is as provided by law—electronic accreditation and electronic upload of results on the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal, and that is why we are doing this mock.

“So please disregard whatever was reported about what the REC was said to have said in Bayelsa and that is going to be the procedure. And it is for that reason that I will advise you also for those who have registered on the IReV portal, in the next two hours or so, they should go to the IReV portal, they will see the result of the mock from all three we are uploading, as we have done in previous elections.”

Yakubu noted that the security agencies have given assurances of adequate security on election day.

According to him, “Well, so far, so good in terms of assurance from the security agencies, as we can see; they’re even here for the mock election, and next Friday, there is going to be a high-level meeting in Abuja, chaired by myself and the National Security Adviser, in which all the security chiefs will be present to discuss the issue of security for the three states.

“So we are on top of the situation in terms of security arrangements and security deployment.”

National Commissioner in charge of Kogi, Prof. Sani Adam said the State was ready for the conduct of the governorship election.