The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will only allow and accept party agents with verifiable means of identification whose names are on the list submitted by political parties at polling stations.
Mr Edwin Enabor, the INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Rivers, made the position known in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday, noting that the Commission will also allow only agents with verifiable means of identification at collation centres during the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Saturday.
Enabor explained that prior to the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Feb. 23, political parties were asked to submit their agents’ lists to electoral officers in the 23 local government offices of INEC in Rivers.
“In line with the INEC guidelines and in accordance with the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the period for the submission of the list of the party agents has since elapsed,” Enabor said.
He advised all INEC staff and the political parties to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
Rivers has been a hotbed of crises since the commencement of the general elections.
Fear of the eruption of fresh crises among politicians has led to the deployment of more security men to the state for the conduct of Saturday’s elections. NAN
