*Amina Zakari vows fair polls in Bayelsa, Kogi

Acting Chairman for Nigerias’ Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari, said the commission would continue to push for more technology in the electoral process in the country to ensure transparency.

“We will go beyond the card reader to have more technology into our electoral process because it ensures transparency and efficiency of the process,’’ she said, without specifying what new devices INEC would introduce.

She stressed that the introduction of the card reader was one of the best things to happen to the nation’s electoral process.

She spoke today in a daily bulletin of the commission, published today.

Amina reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting credible governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa. She also promised that INEC would be an unbiased umpire in the electoral process in the states.

She said that INEC would do everything possible to ensure mass participation of voters in the elections.

“We would try to sensitise Kogi people and Bayelsa people to come out and register, especially those that just turned 18.

“I am sure that the numbers would not be high because we have worked out a lot throughout 2014 and we will still do our best to make sure nobody is disenfranchised through Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) or voter registration,’’ she said.

Zakari disclosed that the commission was in the process of procuring materials for the elections and for bye-elections that might be ordered by various election tribunals currently sitting across the country.

“We are taking an audit to see what we need and basically, it will not be much; we may also need for bye-elections.

“Soon, we will start sourcing for ad-hoc staff and training them because we have good time and we should be able to deliver good elections,’’ she said.

The INEC boss added that the commission was working with Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to conduct safe elections in the two states termed “flash points’’.