By Kehinde Olatunji
MC Oluomo
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje, has said that the electoral body in Lagos State doesn’t have any agreement with Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, to move electoral materials in the forthcoming elections in the state.
He made the disclosures at an enlarged stakeholders forum of the electoral body, which was held yesterday, at the Media Centre, INEC State Office, Sabo-Yaba, Lagos.
Agbaje also revealed that Lagos State recorded 88 per cent Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection before the end of the exercise.
He said that several things have been put in place as part of preparations to ensure good election, including among others, Testing of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS); Issuance of PVCs to their owners, saying that a total of 6,708,451 PVCs were collected by their owners at the end of the exercise on February 5, 2023 out of the 7,637,402 PVCs received in the State between 2011 and 2023, and the figure represents a total PVC collection of 88 per cent.
Speaking on the use of the PVC and BVAS, he said the Commission more than ever before, is very determined to conduct good elections into the various offices during the 2023 polls.
The Objective of the Forum, according to the commission, was to cement the relationship that exists between INEC and election stakeholders in Lagos ahead of the general elections slated for February 25 and March 11, 2023.
While enumerating on the data base in Lagos State, Agbaje said: “Electoral Data for Lagos state, number of Local Government in Lagos 20, number of registration areas in Lagos, 245, number of polling units 13,325; electoral, constituencies, Senate three, Federal House of Representatives, 24, State House of Representatives, 40. Number of Registration Area Centres (RACs)/Super RACs 224.
On the number of BVAS deployed in the state and how it is being distributed, Agbaje said it is13, 325.
“Please note that all voters must be accredited with the use of BVAS and any Polling Unit where the total number of accredited voters is less than total vote cast i. e over-voting, the election will be cancelled and zero will be recorded for all political parties (section 40 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of election 2022).
“INEC is sourcing and screening Ad-hoc staff from NYSC, Tertiary Institutions, Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” he stated.
Source: The Guardian
