In preparation for the local government council elections scheduled for Saturday, 2nd November 2024, the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) has commence the distribution of sensitive materials across all 18 local government areas in the state.
The State Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Edet Boco announced this on Thursday during an inspection of the sensitive materials at the State office, attended by key stakeholders in Calabar.
He emphasized that the commission is ready to conduct elections that are free, fair, and credible.
“We are joined here by security personnel, members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and the media. The voting process will be the same, but we will not use the BVAS technology; everything will be done manually. Voting will start at 8 AM and end at 2 PM, but if there are still voters in line, we will extend the time,” he explained.
“It is crucial for the public to trust CROSIEC and believe in the electoral process, as today’s activities are meant to demonstrate our transparency and integrity. We encourage everyone to participate in the elections and express their rights, with results to follow,” he added.
He also mentioned, “All polling units designated for these elections have been established by INEC, maintaining the same number of polling places and ad hoc staff. We have 3,281 polling units, 460 supervisors, 18 returning officers, and 196 ward collation officers.
“Our ad hoc staff have been recruited from the community, properly trained, and have taken oaths of allegiance and confidentiality, so we expect them to conduct themselves appropriately.”
Engr. Effiom Okon, the state chairman of the Action People’s Party and also the chairman of IPAC, confirmed the readiness of the sensitive materials and expressed his satisfaction with the process, voicing optimism for a free, fair, and credible election.
Joseph Abasi-Abasi, Nigerian Tribune
