YSIEC Confirms Readiness for Saturday’s LGAs Poll
From Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu
The Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission (YSIEC) has confirmed that all sensitive and non-sensitive election materials have been dispatched to the 17 local government areas ahead of Saturday’s local government election.
The Chairman of YSIEC, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Yabani, disclosed this on Friday while briefing newsmen on the Commission’s level of preparedness.
Dr. Yabani stated that the Commission had been working to ensure a level playing field for all political parties participating in the election. He noted that the Commission had engaged with stakeholders and security personnel ahead of the poll.
“The culmination of these preparations occurred yesterday, when we dispatched all sensitive and non-sensitive election materials to the 17 local government areas of the state,” he said.
The YSIEC Chairman confirmed that the Commission had fully complied with its guidelines, which required the dispatch of all election materials to the 17 LGAs.
He explained that sorting of the materials was completed on Thursday, after which vehicles proceeded individually to each local government area.
“Only two local government areas opted to collect their materials this morning for security reasons. I agreed with that decision, and they collected the materials at approximately 7:00 a.m.,” he added.
Dr. Yabani disclosed that since the materials were dispatched, the Commission had not received any complaints from any of the 17 local government areas regarding problems with delivery.
He attributed the smooth exercise partly to favourable weather conditions, noting that there was no rainfall throughout Thursday.
He explained that rainfall during transportation of materials in open vans could have caused damage, prompting the Commission to purchase tarpaulins and ensure that all electrical materials were properly covered.
Dr. Yabani said he provided an update to the security on the Commission’s preparations and believed the Council was satisfied, as members asked questions and received responses.
“At the conclusion of the meeting, they indicated that they were satisfied and that we could proceed with the electoral preparations,” he said.
He noted that he had briefed the Security three weeks earlier, during which areas of concern and potential flashpoints were discussed, and polling units likely to present challenges were identified.
“Although the state is currently calm and there is limited activity, we must anticipate possible challenges, given the history of insurgency in the state,” he said.
He explained that the electoral law authorises the Commission to cluster certain polling units within their respective areas and, where necessary, relocate voters from high-risk areas to safer locations.
“This is not a new practice. We have implemented similar measures during the previous three elections conducted in the state,” he stated.
He said that in areas where potential problems are anticipated, security personnel at affected polling units will be reinforced, or the polling units may be relocated to areas where the likelihood of a security incident is considered lower.
