Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said that election materials will no longer be stored with the Central Bank Of Nigeria.

The electoral commission chairman disclosed this while answering questions at an event held at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja on Saturday.

Answering questions, Mr Yakubu said to ensure that electoral processes are centred on the bases of a free and fair system, election materials will no longer be kept with the CBN, while adding that the decision is to make sure that electoral materials are not tampered with.

Mr Yakubu further added that the process to enforce this new development will kickstart right from the commencement of the 2022 Ekiti governorship election slated for June 18.

The INEC chairman’s statement comes after questions have been raised about the authenticity of electoral materials after CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, stated his interest to contest the 2023 presidential election under the ruling APC party.

Until he resigned his interest in the presidential primaries of the APC, Mr Emefiele who is a member of the ruling party, had purchased the party’s N100 million nomination form and had even gone to court to be cleared to contest while still remaining head of the apex bank.