The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Taraba says all sensitive materials have been “distributed successfully” to the six local government areas of the state.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar Muktar Gajiram disclosed this during the opening of an Inter-Consultative Committee meeting on Election Security held at the INEC office in Jalingo on Friday.
Mr Gajiram said everything was in place despite “a little challenge” they experienced while transporting the materials from Yola, Adamawa State, where they lodged them for safe-keeping due to lack of space at the CBN’s Jalingo branch, which has been operating in a rented apartment pending the completion of its permanent building located along CBN Bypass.
He commended security agencies, comprising the Police, Army, DSS, NSCDC, NIS, Nigeria Prison Service, National Fire Service, and NYSC among other stakeholders, for a cordial partnership aimed at ensuring a peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in the state.
The meeting, which started at about 4:45 pm, is expected to last for five hours, having in attendance Mr Gajiram, alongside the Commandant of 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Jalingo, Brigadier-General Frank Etim; CP Yusuf Suleiman; State Director of DSS, Ibrahim Saleh; state Comptroller, NIS, Hallid Usman; and Corps Commander, Serina Daniel of the FRSC, Taraba State Command, among others.
Meanwhile, some 2,022,374 registered voters are expected to cast their ballot in Taraba State during Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the governorship and state assembly polls due on March 11.
Reporting by Sani Sulaiman; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino and Tony Okerafor