Nasarawa State governor and chairman of the electoral committee on Ekiti State governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has promised massive security within and outside the venue of the event today.
Addressing a news conference at Damlek Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti venue of the primary yesterday on the level of preparedness for the exercise, said that accreditation would begin at 8 am.
He promised a free, fair and credible exercise.
The media parley was attended by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed; Director of Department of State Services, (DSS), Mrs. Promise Iheanacho; Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Donatus Ikemefuna and Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Ismaila Kugu.
Those to be accredited are aspirants, delegates, journalists, observers and other critical stakeholders.
Apart from the security arrangement, Al-Makura explained that facilities needed for the conveniences of participants had been provided.
The electoral panel chair said dedicated tents had been provided for delegates on the basis of the three senatorial districts: Ekiti South, Ekiti North and Ekiti Central.
Al-Makura said: “Any delegate accredited won’t be allowed to go out for any reason.
“Any delegate that enters the arena must be identified by his party membership card and extra statutory identity like International Passport, Driver’s Licence and National ID Card.
“Such delegates must be identified with the list given to us by the National Secretariat.
“All accreditation must be completed for delegates from all the senatorial zones before voting starts.
“Voting will be done once at a time, and it will start with delegates from Ekiti South, the farthest, then to Ekiti North and Ekiti Central, the closest.
“After identification, delegates will be given ballot paper and they will submit their delegates tag for punching, and they will also submit the ropes of their tags.
“Cubicle for voting area are ready for delegates and delegates will go in and cast their votes. One outlet will be dedicated for voters and no voter will be allowed back into the hall once he votes.
“At the end of the voting, there will be sorting to be followed by counting.”
He also said the panel would not allow any aspirant or delegate that wears branded materials to the venue of the primary.
Responding to a question, Al-Makura stressed that some agents that were barred for their involvement in the fracas that broke out in the botched primary would be arrested if found in the vicinity of the primary.
Al-Makura disclosed that some of the hoodlums arrested for disrupting the primary election previously were being prosecuted.