2023: No Use Of Handsets At Polling Units— INEC

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has banned voters from using headsets at the polling units across the country.

INEC resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Ogun State, Niyi Ijalaye disclosed thi on Wednesday in Abeokuta while speaking with newsmen after a meeting with heads of security agencies ahead of the Saturday election.

Ijalaye stated that the commission would not allow voters to make use of their mobile telephone handsets during the period of casting their votes in Saturday’s presidential election.

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This, according to him, is a criminal offence for voters and part of the measures to guide against vote-buying during the elections.

He further revealed voters would neither be allowed to make phone calls nor take pictures with their phones when casting their votes.

He said:

“Maybe I need to emphasise this also that on voting day, when people come to the polling booths with their phones, when they approach the polling officer and they want to go in with their phones, they will not be allowed to use their phones to discuss with people or take pictures at that polling point where they will be voting. It is an offence, it is a crime and it will not be allowed.

“We have been strategising and re-strategising on ways forward to ensure that elections in Ogun State will be devoid of rancor or violence of any sort whatsoever.

“That is what we have been doing and we want to seize this opportunity to appeal to the good people of Ogun State, the gateway state, to endeavor to just come out peacefully on Saturday and exercise their franchise, their civic responsibility to vote for people, candidates and parties of their choice.

“On no account will violence of any sort be tolerated in this state and that is what we have been discussing in the last two, three hours.’’

Ijalaye held his commission was ready to conduct free, fair, and credible elections with the help of the various security agencies and other stakeholders.

The state’s commissioner of police, Frank Mb on his side, charged security personnel deployed for the election to maintain their political neutrality and provide a level playing ground for all the political parties.