By Peter Okutu
AS the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Ebonyi State, prepares to conduct bye election in three days to fill a vacant seat at Ebonyi State House of Assembly, the commission has said that it will provide an equal playing field for all contesting the elections.

The election became necessary as the former member, Deacon Obinna Nwachukwu who represented Ishielu North Constituency vied and won the chairmanship position of the area in the last local government elections that took place in the state on July 10,  2010.

Addressing a gathering of political parties in the state Tuesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ebonyi State, Dr. Humphrey Nwangeneh, notified those present that the election will be by open secret ballot system.

He noted that only six political parties had so far nominated candidate for the election scheduled for Saturday, November 27, 010.

The political parties set to field candidates for the election include Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, Labour party of Nigeria , LP, Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, Mega Political Party, MPP, All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and Democratic Peoples Party, DPP.

Dr. Nwangeneh appealed to the political parties to nominate credible agents, adding that agents were free to observe the proceedings of the election, but not to take over the roles of electoral officers during elections.

He said:  “Agents remain the eyes of political parties at polling stations and collation centre. Political parties often neglect to submit these agents as statutorily provided and turn round to blame INEC at these stages of elections management.

“At other points, unfaithful party agents compromise dangerously against their parties and feed the party with falsehood, which the political elites appropriate to heat up the polity.

“It is instructive that political parties are represented at the polling units and collation venues during election and registration units during voters’ registration.

“Materials will be shared on Friday evening by 5pm in the presence of the press, security personnel, and INEC staff among others.

“The forthcoming bye election will be conducted with the old voters’ register. We’ll try and make it useful as possible.

“We shall resolve any complaint on the spot. New voter’s registration is on the way in January next year.”

Vanguard gathered that campaigns for the elections will stop midnight on Friday, November 26, 2010, while the election will start at exactly 8am and stop 3pm of the same day.