THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to work with relevant stakeholders to tackle the menace of vote-buying and other anomalies before, during and after the 2023 general elections.
INEC Administrative Secretary in Sokoto State, Hauwa Kangiwa, disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting in Sokoto.
The stakeholders meeting was attended by political parties, the army and other law enforcement agencies, civil society organisations, physically challenged persons, students and others, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
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Kangiwa said INEC will also work with the stakeholders to track campaign finances during and after the electioneering period.
According to her, all updates and arrangements, identifications and invitations will be done to carry all collaborating agencies along.
She also disclosed that the Commission had received 3,991 units of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to be used during the 2023 general elections in the state.
According to Kangiwa, the BVAS will be configured and assigned to polling units across the state.
She added that INEC staff members were being trained in effective handling of the BVAS ahead of the elections.
The administrative secretary assured that the Commission was ready for the elections, and would continue to interface with different stakeholders, as part of its voter education programme.
She said: “The Commission is well prepared to conduct the 2023 general elections, the preparation will take the commission up to the day of elections and beyond.
”All departments and local government offices are working tirelessly to make sure that our constitutional duties are carried out effectively.”
The administrative secretary further noted that a total of 124,963 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were yet to be claimed in the state.
Kangiwa explained that 86,446 of the unclaimed PVCs were from 2019, 25,380 were for those registered in 2021 and 13,137 for those that transferred their voting centres.
She further disclosed that 148,446 new PVCs have been sent to the 23 local government areas in the state for distribution.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M