UPP, APGA laud INEC for early deployment of election materials

The United Progressives Party (UPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have commended the early deployment of sensitive and non-sensitive materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from state headquarters to local governments.

National Chairman of UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie, and National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Chief Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, expressed the satisfaction in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka yesterday.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, confirmed the receipt of the materials from the Central Bank (CBN) and subsequently deployed to the councils under tight security.

Okorie said that there was no reason why the materials should not get to the various polling units in the state before 8.am, as promised.

The UPP chairman said INEC should forestall any factor that could frustrate effective deployment of voting materials to any voting point in any area, saying such development could cause crisis, as candidates and parties that felt they had strength in those places could view it as attempt to rig them out.

“Any such attempt would raise dust, especially those who feel they have strong base in those areas.
“These are the things that can result in rigging, manipulation, postponing of election in those places,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the heavy deployment of security personnel to the state for the election, adding that they should not be used to subvert the process.

“We are not going to sleep because of that, the vigilant eyes of our people are open and since the Police have said everybody is free to snap photo with their phones, we are going to follow them very closely,” he said.

On his part, Obi-Okoye said it was too early to express reservation of any sort in the election, urging INEC to ensure that the sensitive materials, including the ballot papers and result sheets, should be at the polling units before 8 am.