Cross River LG Polls 2024: CROSIEC Displays Sensitive Election Materials Ahead of Nov. 2 Elections
In a display of Local Government elections sensitive materials held ahead of Saturday’s local government elections, Dr Ekong Edet Bocco, Chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC), confirmed that ten political parties will appear on the ballot.
He reassured the public of the commission’s readiness to conduct a fair and transparent election.
“Our ballot papers have been finalized, and they are ready to be sent to polling units across the state,” Dr. Bocco announced. “We appreciate the cooperation of political parties so far and urge their continued support through the entire election process.”
When asked about the voting procedure, Dr. Bocco explained, “The process remains the same as in previous elections. Voters should go to their registered polling units, verify their names on the register, and then present themselves to the presiding officer, who will issue them a ballot paper. Voting is manual and will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.”
Responding to questions on the use of voter registers, he clarified that the voter registers are provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We do not produce our registers,” Dr. Bocco stated. “INEC has given us a soft copy of the register, which we have printed and will use for this election.”
The CROSIEC Chairman also addressed rumours that the commission had pre-set election results hidden away. “These are baseless speculations,” he affirmed.
“People have approached us about alleged pre-made results, but that is simply not true. We haven’t even distributed voting materials yet. We are committed to transparency, and we urge the public to trust that the process is fair and open.”
On staffing, Dr Bocco shared details about CROSIEC’s workforce for the election, stating, “All INEC-approved polling units will be used, with around 3,281 polling units staffed by three officials each, totalling 9,843 field workers. We have also assigned 460 supervisors, 196 ward collation officers, and 18 returning officers.”
When questioned about the integrity of the election staff, Dr. Bocco said, “These are Cross Riverians, and they have pledged allegiance to the rules of the election. I trust them to carry out their duties with integrity.”
We invited you here to display the local government election sensitive materials,” Dr Bocco stated, flanked by security agencies and members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
Dr. Bocco stated, “These are the result sheets for the Chairmen, and these are the result sheets for the Councillors for the election. All the ballot papers are here in the hall. Please, after this, you can enter and see them for yourself.”
He added, “I want to ask for your permission to open this and show something to all of us.” Refuting previous claims that CROSIEC had already completed the results, he said, “Thank God they are here, and let it be open so you can see it yourself.”
Dr. Bocco explained, “This is the result sheet for all the units; this is the original, and none has been detached. They are complete, and as we received them, this is how we are sending them out.” With ten political parties listed on the ballot, he expressed confidence that everything was set for the elections scheduled for Saturday.
Expressing gratitude, Dr. Bocco said, “Thank you for your cooperation so far, and we keep appealing to all political parties to support us until this event concludes after Saturday.”
The voting procedure is straightforward: voters will arrive at their designated polling units, check their names, and have their registrations verified by electoral officers before receiving their ballot papers to cast their votes.
He assured that all ad hoc staff had received thorough training from October 25 to October 27. “The last training session, for returning officers and ward collation officers, was just completed this week,” he noted.
Asked about his legacy, Dr. Bocco replied humbly, “I will simply be remembered for conducting this election.”
IPAC’s State Chairman, Mr. Edet Effiom, who is also the Chairman of the Action Peoples Party, expressed satisfaction with the election preparations. “We have observed all the processes, and we are confident that the election will be free, fair, and credible,” he remarked.
He clarified, “We are neither friendly nor enemies with the administration; we are citizens of Cross River State, committed to grassroots development.
