The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it would conduct mock elections in ten selected states across Nigeria. For the South-west geo-political zone, the simulation election exercise will be done in Lagos and Ekiti.
The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Akin Orebiyi at a press conference held yesterday at the commission Headuarters in Yaba disclosed that the commission had chosen Maryland/ Onigbongbon area for the mock election in Lagos. The exercise will hold on Saturday 7, March,2015.
Explaining why Onigbongbon was chosen ahead of other councils in Lagos, Orebiyi said the Permannet Voter Cards, PVCs distribution was largely successful in the area. According to him, out of 24, 638 registered voters in the area, 14,873 voters had collected their PVCs.
He disclosed further that the field test will be conducted in about 50 polling units. Two hundred poll officials including 5 supervisors will be deployed for the exercise. It is expected to start by 8am and end at 1pm.
The essence of the exercise according to Orebiyi was to put to test the various new strategies and equipment including the controversial card reader machines that will be used during the actual polls
Orebiyi re-assured Lagosians adequate security had been put in place for the March 28 and April 11 elections urging voters to turn out to exercise their civic duty. He warned that anybody found with fake or stolen PVC will be handed over to security operatives.
On the reliability of the card readers, the Lagos REC maintained that the machines are effective adding that the failure rate will be extremely low.
He also assured that the outstanding 400,000 voter cards will be supplied to the state informing that so far about 5.5million cards had been received in Lagos.
