Mr Anieidi Ikoiwak, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers, said on Wednesday that the Commission was yet to distribute sensitive materials for the March 19 re-run elections in the state.

Ikoiwak told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the sensitive materials were being awaited in the state.

“We are distributing non-sensitive materials now. We are waiting for the arrival of the sensitive materials. That will be distributed on the morning of the elections.”

The Commissioner explained that the sensitive materials would come in from the Central Bank, where it would be distributed to the local government areas on Election Day.

“What this means is that, accreditation and voting will start at 8:00am and end by 2:00pm.

“Except for persons who arrived at the polling units before 2.00pm, nobody will be accredited or be allowed to vote after that.”

Ikoiwak said polls would take place in 4,442 polling units and about 1,000 voting points.

“Voting points are created in areas where the population of polling units is high in order to ease voting and accreditation challenges during elections.

“There will be about 20,000 ad-hoc staff at the polling units.”

Ikoiwak said that about 4,000 extra ad-hoc staff would be deployed to work in Area Registration Centres, where the sensitive materials would be domiciled and as Supervisors, Collation Officers and Returning Officers.

“We are sourcing these personnel from only the Federal Agencies, including university students from Federal Universities.”

Ikoiwak, however, said INEC staff from Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states would assist in the election. (NAN)

•Photo shows INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu.

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