2011: INEC TO TRACK MOVEMENT OF ELECTION MATERIALS TO CHECK RIGGING

Determined to confront rigging from all fronts in the 2011 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it would track the movement of all election materials from point of collection to the point of delivery.

The tracking of materials, the commission said, would start from the coming voters' registration exercise.

INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega stated that for the voters' registration exercise, the commission would make use of the men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) among other strategies to be deployed across the states of the federation. Jega who made these disclosures while receiving in his office the Corps Marshal/Chief Executive of FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka, at the weekend, called for further consultations between the two agencies to give effect to the proposed working relationship.

The INEC chairman, while affirming the readiness of the commission to take full advantage of the platform offered by the FRSC to facilitate free, fair and credible elections in 2011, said his commission supported ongoing efforts by the corps to halt defacement of road signs in the course of political electioneering campaigns. He told the FRSC boss: 'I want to assure you that I am committed to working very closely with your organization in order to ensure that we have a very good framework for working together. 'Obviously, your support and assistance to us will be very useful in our activities.

There is tremendous scope to expand that relationship. As you pointed out, you have tremendous resources and capabilities and facilities, which you can assist us with in order to achieve the objective of fair and credible elections.' Professor Jega therefore expressed the willingness of the commission to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with the FRSC.