By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
“We are encouraged by the level of compliance with electoral guidelines and the peaceful atmosphere in the centres we have visited”, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, has declared.
Amupitan made the declaration after monitoring the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils’ election in some parts of the Territory on Saturday.
The INEC Chairman hailed the peaceful conduct of the elections, particularly the early deployment of election materials across the various polling units.
The monitoring exercise took the INEC Chairman to several polling centres across the FCT to have a first hand assessment of the exercise.
Amupitan, a professor of Law and erstwhile Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Jos, Plateau State, started
monitoring exercise in parts of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) before proceeding to Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils, where he interacted with electoral officials, security personnel and voters.
Answering questions from journalists thereafter, the INEC Chairman noted that accreditation and voting commenced as scheduled in many polling units, with only minor logistical delays recorded in isolated areas.
According to him, “We are encouraged by the level of compliance with electoral guidelines and the peaceful atmosphere in the centres we have visited,” he said.
“Our officials were on ground early, and sensitive materials arrived on time”, he said.
At a polling unit in Kubwa, in Bwari Area Council of the FCT, voters were seen queuing patiently as INEC officials verified their credentials before issuing ballot papers.
Security personnel maintained a visible presence to ensure a smooth and orderly process.
The INEC chairman assured residents that the commission had put adequate measures in place to guarantee transparency and credibility in the exercise.
He encouraged voters to remain orderly and report any irregularities through appropriate channels.
Amupitan reiterated the commitment of INEC to deliver a free, fair and credible electoral process across the FCT.
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