Pick-up van conveying the sensitive materials Photo: Usman Mohammed
Journalists were barred from inspecting the movement of sensitive electoral materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC from the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN in Dutse, Jigawa state capital.
Speaking to newsmen at the main gate of the Apex bank in Dutse, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Lawal Bashar said sensitive materials have been moved to the 27 Local Government areas of the state.
According to him, based on directive by the CBN, Journalists are not allowed to enter and inspect the distribution and the evacuation of the materials which include the result sheets and other auxiliaries.
While commenting on the last Presidential and National Assembly election, Professor Bashar said there was no report of late arrival of the electoral materials anywhere in the state.
He said all the ad-hoc staff of the commission will move to the local government areas headquarters early morning on Friday to have some refresher training before moving to their respective areas of assignments.
National Commissioner in charge of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdu Zuru was in Dutse to witness the distribution of the electoral materials to the local government areas.
In a related development, the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN internal security in Kebbi State, prevented journalists from covering the distribution of sensitive materials for Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections that will hold on Saturday.
Journalists were officially invited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to witness the distribution at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday to ensure transparency.
However, after the materials arrived the Apex bank branch office early in the day, journalists were kept waiting outside for hours.
INEC Deputy Director on Voter Education and Publicity, Muhammad Rabíu’s appeals which fell on deaf hears as the security men.
Reporting by Abdullahi Tukur, Usman Mohammed; Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade, Tersoo Nicholas & Adeniyi Bakare