 The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has assured that the February 25 presidential and national assembly polls will hold nationwide, despite the cash crunch and protests in some parts of the country. INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance during a tour of the training centre of the ad hoc staff for election duty and the media at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. The countdown is on with less than a week to go and the nation's electoral commission body is putting finishing touches to ensure a smooth electioneering process. Following the redesign of the 200, 501,000 narrow bills by the central bank of Nigeria, Nigerians have been experiencing difficulties having access to the new notes. With this development, they have been feared that the general elections might be postponed or suffer glitches. The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has allayed those fears, saying the commission is working closely with the CBN and security agencies. Basically what we have done today is to go through two activities. The first one is the training of the second batch of ad hoc staff for the election. Last week we trained the supervisory presiding officers nationwide and today we started yesterday, today and tomorrow we will finish the training of the presiding officers and assistant presiding officers 1, 2 and 3. As you know we have our own role clearly cut out and others also have their own roles clearly cut out but the most important thing is that we are working together and they have assured that the security agencies assured and reassured us that they will secure the environment for elections to hold peacefully nationwide. Meanwhile, the INEC boss alongside national commissioners and directors of the commission visits centers where ad hoc staff are being trained for the elections. Their goal is to ensure that the officers are well equipped on the use of the technology to be deployed for the polls. And then we are also going to project the results as they are being collated so that the members of the press can't see the results and all those who are here present. We are also going to have an elevated platform for members of the press who have their cameras, they will be standing up to that end. Satisfied with the outcome, they proceeded to the international conference center the venue for the presidential election results collation. The mission here is to inspect the facility and equipment to be used for the polls. The February 25th presidential and national assembly elections will be conducted in 176,000 polling units across the country. Fresh news updates.