The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the citizenry that it would ensure elections start by 8 am on Saturday.
This proclamation was given by the Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu in Abuja while addressing a press conference on the Commission’s preparations for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Yakubu said that the commission has concluded the deployment of election materials to all the polling stations across the country.
“We engaged 825,543 ad hoc staff ranging from presiding officers to collation and returning officers.
“We have mobilised 80,000 commercial vehicles and about 996 boats for the deployment of personnel and materials.
“The materials include 707,892 ballot boxes and voting cubicles, and we are mobilising these to various locations by land and sea.
“We have accredited 120 domestic and 36 international observer groups, deploying an accumulative number of 73,000 observers.
“We have concluded the movement of personnel, materials to the 774 local and 8809 RACs nationwide.
“All arrangements are now in place to facilitate opening of polls at 8 a.m. on Saturday,” he said.
He said that measures were also in place to combat vote-buying and other electoral malpractice.
