The Electoral Commission disagrees with queries that there were armed men at any of the polling stations during the recent by-election that marred the by-elections at Ayawaso West last month.

Her comments, made before the Emile Short Commission Friday morning, are in sharp contrast to the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers’ (CODEO) reports and other admissions by security chiefs who appeared before the Commission suggesting that some personnel were armed during the elections for a special assignment.

“There were no armed men who were manning any of the polling stations,” she said.

Asked whether there was any evidence of intimidating presence of security presence she said “That is not true. I had the opportunity to visit about 15 polling stations and there were no armed men. Nobody has reported the presence of intimidating armed men.”

“I still stand by the reports we have received,” she insisted.

She further added that a “shooting did not occur at the polling station.”

On the way forward to forestall peaceful elections in coming elections, she is asking political parties to do away with vigilantism.

“Our parties must do away with their vigilantism. And the citizens must condemn it.”

She has also committed to engage in a lot more public education and engagement with security services prior to elections.

“We will engage in a lot of public education and we will continue to engage with the security to ensure peaceful elections,” she said.