INEC logo Okon Bassey in Uyo As some stakeholders have expressed misgiving on the 2015 general election in the country, the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr. Gabriel Ada has reassured political parties of a level playing field for them to test their popularity and acceptability by the electorate. At a meeting with leaders of political parties in the state, the REC tasked stakeholders for continuous voter education in-order to minimise voters’ errors during the election. He noted that voters’ confidence in the electoral process had continued to grow as attested to by the large turnout during the last governorship election in Osun State. Dr. Ada reminded the political parties of existing INEC guidelines on campaigns, threatening that the commission would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law if any party violated the guidelines in the state. According to him, decision by INEC to create 38,000 new polling units nationwide was based on 85% proportionality and 15% equality adding that existing wrongly located polling units would be relocated to public places. He said adequate logistics had been made by INEC to ensure that materials got to polling units without being hijacked by politicians and thugs and in their determination to rig during the election. “We are making efforts to ensure that materials get closer to polling units ahead of election days by the use of Super Racs which will be a house with adequate security and conveniences for our staff. “Such centres will cover polling units in two or three wards and will make it easier for our staff to get to the polling units early enough on election days. “In addition, our card reader will also make use of records obtained during the voter registration exercise to ensure that only authentic voters are allowed to vote and this, we believe, will reduce electoral malpractice”, he explained. He hinted that 376, 800 Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) were yet to be exchanged by their owners in Akwa Ibom more than four months after the exercise commenced, announcing that 1,088,789 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had so far been collected. Ada who expressed regret that owners of the cards were yet to exchange them with the temporary cards stated that additional 260,000 persons however registered during the extended voter registration exercise. On complaints over a purported Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) elections held in the state, Ada disclosed that such election was illegal and unacceptable to the commission as it was not informed of the said election. He said an election to be supervised by INEC and the national officers of IPAC have been fixed for this month adding that those who conducted the alleged election have already been informed of INEC stand on the matter.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 04:32:52 +0000
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