The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday said that it has found solutions to some of the perceived obstacles capable of derailing the general elections expected to start with the presidential polls on February 25.
The commission for the umpteenth time also assured Nigerians that the 2023 general elections will hold as scheduled.
Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who gave the assurance while speaking to State House correspondents, after briefing the Federal Executive Council, FEC, said the Commission will on Friday brief the Council of State on its preparedness towards conducting a transparent election.
But speaking to newsmen after making presentation to the federal cabinet members at the council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Yakubu, explained that the briefing was statutory and that a follow up meeting with the Council of State would hold on Friday, February 10.
He reassured that the Commission has already found answers to the two major concerns.
Prof. Yakubu maintained that the commission has already sorted out the initial challenges posed by the scarcity of cash and petrol.
Recall that various stakeholders had expressed concerns over the capacity of the INEC to conduct a free, fair and credible election in the midst of the perennial fuel scarcity as well as the cash crunch occasioned by the redesigned of naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, which has triggered protests in some parts of the country.
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According to him, “It is a general briefing, it’s in keeping with the tradition that on the eve of major elections, general election in particular, the Commission is invited to brief Council. It is also invited to brief the Council of State.
“The briefing for the Council of State is going to take place on Friday the 10th. So basically, it’s about the readiness of the Commission to conduct the elections.
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“So we took members of Council through all the preparations that we have put in place for the election and the few challenges that we are facing and the steps that we have taken to address those challenges.
“I can tell you two of these challenges quickly. The first one is availability of petroleum products. We had a meeting with the National Union of Road Transport Workers and they raised that as an issue of concern. Immediately after that meeting, we interfaced with the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and right now, there is a technical committee, working.
“The idea is for them to avail us the use of their over 900 land mega stations as well as floating mega stations nationwide, for the purpose of stocking products to ensure that the Commission doesn’t suffer any encumbrances in movement of personnel and materials for the election.
“The second one is the currency issue and again, we had an engagement yesterday with the Governor of the Central Bank and he assured us that the Commission will not suffer any encumbrances on that score.
“Fortunately for us, all our accounts, national and state, are held by the apex bank. So we raised those challenges, but we have found a solution to those challenges. So be rest assured that the election will hold as scheduled; on the 25th of February for national and on the 11th of March for the state election”, he said.
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