Ibaji INEC Office Yet to Receive Electoral Materials Hours After Scheduled Voting — Officials

Concerns over the conduct of the ongoing electoral process in the Idah Federal Constituency deepened on Saturday after officials at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ibaji confirmed the absence of key electoral materials several hours after voting was scheduled to commence.

According to a statement signed and issued by his Media, the leading aspirant in the race, Hon. Mark Ogah Okpanachi, accompanied by stakeholders and supporters, visited the Ibaji INEC office following reports from various polling units that election activities had yet to begin despite the official timetable.

During the visit around 12:00 p.m., questions were raised regarding the whereabouts of the voters register, list of aspirants, and other sensitive electoral materials expected to have arrived before the commencement of voting.

Responding to the inquiries, District Officer Ibrahim Danjuma and Assistant Officer Abutu Samson reportedly confirmed that the office had not received the materials required for the exercise.

The officials disclosed that they had only recently received operational guidelines from the state office and were still making calls to ascertain the status of the electoral materials, despite earlier reports indicating that distribution had already been completed across local government areas and wards.

They further explained that they were not directly conducting the election but were only monitoring the situation while awaiting further directives and instructions before proceeding.

The development has heightened concerns among stakeholders over alleged procedural lapses and possible violations of electoral guidelines, as voters were reportedly left stranded at polling units without the presence of electoral officials or voting materials hours after the scheduled commencement time.

Stakeholders accompanying Hon. Okpanachi stated that all developments surrounding the exercise were being carefully documented, warning that any action carried out outside established electoral laws and due process would be challenged appropriately.

They also stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the conduct of the election.