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Coded Color Ballot Papers, Boxes To Be Used For Elections—INEC

Segun Agbaje, the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the ‎Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC‎), has revealed that the commission would not go back on the use of three different coded colors for the 2015 general elections to be held March 28 and April 11. 

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The three colors, red, green and black, are meant for use in next week's presidential, House of Representatives and Senate elections. 

‎Mr. Agbaje made the disclosures today at a stakeholders’ forum in Akure, the Ondo State capital. He explained that the innovation was part of the commission’s efforts to avoid rigging and stressful sorting of ballots papers after the conclusion of voting.

‎‎He said INEC was fully prepared for the elections, adding that all the ad-hoc staff, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), have been well-trained to help conduct the polls. 

He appealed to voters to ensure that they place ballots in the right boxes so that their votes would not be counted as void.

“We have trained our ad hoc staff and I can assure you that INEC is fully ready and prepared for this election,” Mr. Agbaje said.

The REC also revealed that more than 1.1 million permanent voter cards (PVCs) had been distributed to voters across the 18 local government areas of the state. The distribution figure, which was last updated last Friday, represented 74.8 percent of more than 1.49 million cards received for the state.

“Here in Ondo State, INEC has distributed over 1,118,479 permanent voter cards out of 1,494,169 ‎cards sent to the state from our headquarters,” Mr. Agbaje stated. More than 375,690 cards were yet to be picked up by their owners, he said.  

Mr. Agbaje affirmed the commission’s determination to perform its constitutional duty by being fair, free and credible to all political parties participating in the election.

Twenty-five political parties are expected to participate in this year’s polls.