INEC to announce Anambra supplementary election date today

The Independent National Electoral Commission will meet today (Friday) to pick a date for the supplementary election of the Anambra State governorship poll.

Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman,  Prof. Attahiru Jega, confirmed this in an interview  on Thursday night. He said, “Today (Thursday’s) meeting was just a meeting where the field staff debriefed the commission on the last election and not just for the choice of a date for the supplementary election. The 12 national commissioners of INEC and the Chairman will meet tomorrow (today) and it is likely that a date would be fixed for the Anambra state governorship election.”

Among the issues discussed at Thursday’s marathon meeting were the late arrival of materials, absence of voting materials and complaints about voters not getting their names on the register and other administrative lapses.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu and the Chief Returning Officer for the election, Prof. James Epoke were among the INEC officials at the meeting.

The commission had stated that it had commenced “administrative interrogation” of its field staff who participated in the election and those involved in some administrative lapses.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, could not be reached at the time of going to press as his two lines were switched off, despite several calls put across to him.

He had identified late arrival of materials, absence of voting materials and complaints of voters not getting their names on the register as areas to be given attention.

According to him, the electoral officer who was arrested in connection with the crisis in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state has been handed over to the police and is facing interrogation.

On the interrogation of other INEC officers apart from the Electoral Officer who has been handed over to the police, he said, “I am not aware of that and whoever said that, may be, got their information from the police.

“All I know is that the electoral officer has been handed over to the police.