The Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday said that the ballot papers for this month’s general elections were ready.
The spokesman for the INEC’s National Chairman, Kayode Idowu, made this known to The PUNCH just as feelers indicated that in Abuja that Thursday’s(today) Council of State meeting might be stormy.
The council, which consists of the President, the Vice President, all former Presidents and ex- Heads of State as well as all state governors, is expected to deliberate on the calls for the postponement of the elections.
Other members of the council are all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the President of the Senate and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
One of the key responsibilities of the body is to advise the President in the exercise of his powers with respect to INEC, including the appointments of members of the commission.
The Presidency is believed to be favourably disposed to the postponement of the elections while the APC insists that the elections must hold as scheduled.
But while the Presidency and the APC were busy strategising on Wednesday evening on how to have an upper hand, Idowu told The PUNCH that INEC still stood by its timetable for the polls.
He said that apart from the ballot papers being ready, 65.5 per cent of the Permanent Voter Cards had as of Monday been distributed to registered voters across the country.
He said, “We have distributed 48,098,000 which represents 65.5 per cent of the PVCs . We have also taken delivery of ballot papers for the elections.”
Asked to be specific on whether the elections would be postponed as being canvassed in some quarters, he replied, “Has the commission issued any statement reneging on its earlier timetable?
“If we have not done that, that means nothing has changed.”
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