Moses Ofodeme
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says its partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in warehousing sensitive election materials has enhanced safety of such materials.
The INEC said at no point has it announced severance of such collaboration as erroneously played up by a section of the media.
Oriental News Nigeria, can authoritatively confirm that the cooperation is currently ongoing.
Speaking with our Correspondent on the issue today, spokesman of the Commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, said both the CBN and INEC have had robust collaboration on the handling of election materials and would discuss further collaboration as the country prepares for another general elections in 2023.
Earlier, the INEC had assured that sensitive materials for the Ekiti elections would be timely as they are safely warehoused with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, acknowledged the concerns raised by citizens relating to the issue considering the sensitive nature of election materials and the need for trust and confidence in the electoral process.
Speaking at the Forum organized by “The Electorate” on the 4thday of June 2022 at the Shehu Musa Yar Adua Center, the Chairman, stated that in respect of the Ekiti Governorship election holding on the 18th day of June, 2022, the Commission will deliver all the sensitive materials meant for the election directly to our office in Ado-Ekiti and distributed to the 16 Local Government Areas of the State.
Yakubu, said the Commission is looking at the same situation with regard to the Osun Governorship election holding on the 16th day of July 2022.
However, the direct delivery of the sensitive materials to Ekiti and Osun are interim measure pending further discussions with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ahead of the 2023 General Election.
He commended the handling of materials by CBN since the collaboration started as there has not been a single incident of failure in that regard