By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Calabar – Ahead of Saturday’s National Assembly elections in the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has assured  political parties  in Cross River State, that the commission had put everything in place to ensure that there was no  rigging.

The Resident Electoral Commission, REC, in the state, Mr. Mike Igini, who disclosed this during an interactive meeting with security agencies and candidates in Calabar, yesterday, said that any ballot box snatched during the exercise will not be counted.

Igini said that the commission was determined to ensure that the elections were not only free, fair and credible but acceptable, to reduce  the need to go to tribunals after the elections, adding that everybody’s vote would count.

He said materials for the elections will arrive at the polling units early enough and that a helicopter had been acquired to airlift the materials to distant places and areas with difficult terrains, which could not be easily accessed.

The REC assured political parties in the state, that the commission as umpire will remain neutral and fair in the conduct of the elections as INEC has a responsibility to protect the peoples’ votes.

He said that accreditation will take place between 8 am and 12:30pm, while proper voting was expected to commence immediately after the accreditation, adding that the commission had taken note of all the difficult terrains.