INEC Chairman, Yakub Mahmood

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

The Oyo State Resident Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Barrister Mutiu Agboke has solicited understanding of Nigerians over the postponement of Presidential and National Assembly Elections by one week saying that the postponement was due to logistic reason.

Agboke, while fielding questions on Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, BCOS, said that the commission in the state never had a sign that the election would be postponed adding that as at Wednesday, non-sensitive materials have been distributed across the state.

He said, “The problem is the sensitive materials. The ballot papers and result sheets for House of Representatives have come. CBN has distributed sensitive materials for House of Representatives. CBN called to inform us that sensitive materials for House of Representatives have come and that we should go and inspect them. Now out of the two consignments brought by CBN, one is not labeled. Now as at Thursday, I am confirming it to you that we have sensitive materials for Oyo North and Oyo South but we don’t have for Oyo Central and Presidential Ballot Papers and Result Sheet are not there. I became agitated and kept calling my headquarters in Abuja to send sensitive materials for the presidential election so that I can distribute to all the local governments. I don’t want materials to get to the polling units late because I want the election to start 8am on the dot. But the headquarters kept telling me that it has sent the presidential materials. However, it was discovered that the unlabeled consignment contained presidential sensitive materials”.

He continued, “However, by the time we checked, it was found out that it was the presidential ballot papers meant for Bauchi State that was sent to Oyo State, that of Oyo is in Niger, Edo material is in Delta. Another consignment meant for Oyo State is in Lagos State as at 7pm yesterday and it came to Oyo State 1am today. There is no way we can distribute it to all the local governments and it will get to the polling units on time. How do we imagine the situation and tension that will arise because materials have not gotten to the polling units by 11 am? At this point, it dawned on us that we have to exercise some caution. It was not in our imagination that this will happen”.

He stated further, “While this was happening, we were already distributing sensitive materials that we have and as soon as the postponement was announced, I moved swiftly by stopping the deployment of materials. Besides, I don’t feel that the materials are safe in local government contrary to the advice of the security personnel who assured that they would give it maximum security. I ordered the vehicles carrying them to return all the materials and as at yesterday, all the materials have returned back to the headquarters in Oyo State. The security has been beefed up at the headquarters with combined security forces made up of soldiers and policemen as well as DSS. Again, I ordered that all private vehicles belonging to the staff be moved out and no one, staff or anybody, no matter, who you are will be thoroughly checked at the gate before going out of INEC headquarters in Oyo State”.

Agboke, however, assured the electorate that their votes would count in the state pointing out, “Nothing will happen to your votes in Oyo State. It is a bad impression that the result is already predetermined”.

He also stated that all the card readers have been retrieved for reconfiguration