The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given an assurance that the results of the presidential election scheduled for Saturday will be announced as quickly as possible.
During a media briefing held in Abuja on Friday, the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, promised that the process of declaring this year’s presidential result will be accelerated, unlike in 2019 when it took over two days to declare the winner. He acknowledged the anxiety and the need for a prompt conclusion of the process and confirmed that it would be done quickly, although he could not specify the exact number of days or hours it would take.
Prof Yakubu also reassured the public that the recent cash crunch caused by the naira swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria would not hinder the electoral process. He explained that not all operations of the commission were paid for in cash, and that the bulk of procurement for goods and services was done electronically.
However, the commission needed a small amount of money to pay for unbanked workers who provide critical services, especially at the local level. INEC anticipated this challenge and interacted with the Central Bank, which promised to make the funds available to pay for the services in cash. Prof Yakubu confirmed that the funds had already been accessed by state offices for the election and that the movement of personnel and materials had gone on unhindered in the past few days.
In summary, the INEC Chairman promised a speedy announcement of the results of the upcoming presidential election, and he reassured the public that the recent cash crunch caused by the naira swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria would not hinder the process.
