Celestine Ihejirika, Umuahia
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sought the intervention of stakeholders in Abia State to enable it enhance the collection of hundreds of thousands of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) yet to be claimed by their owners.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Abia State, Dr. Joseph Iloh, who stated this at a joint media press briefing with heads of security agencies in the state, called for urgent intervention to enable it dispose the remaining PVCs to prospective voters.
The meeting was facilitated by Hope Givers Initiative (HGI), a non-governmental organisation as part of its engagement with the electoral body to enthrone a culture of transparent, free, fair, credible and violent free election in the land.
It was attended by all the heads of security agencies in the state as well as other relevant federal agencies, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and operatives of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
The REC said that a total of 387,000 PVCs were yet to be collected and that there was no way owners of the uncollected PVCs would participate in the 2019 general election which is just around the corner, warning that collection of PVCs by proxy was totally prohibited.
He noted that during the CVR period, the closure of markets on designated days by the leadership of the Abia State Market Traders Association (ASMATA) greatly enhanced the participation of traders in the registration exercise hence impressive record of voter registration recorded by INEC, in Abia State.
The state INEC boss said that it was worrisome that after an impressive turnout of prospective voters during the CVR the enthusiasm died down when the PVCs were ready for collection.
He, therefore, reasoned that if the market leaders could consider adopting the same strategy of pressing the pause button to halt business activities on designated days it would compel those reluctant to leave their market stores to go and collect their PVCs.
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Dr. Iloh assured that INEC was on course to deliver a credible poll in Abia, adding that local government headquarters would no longer serve as collation centres to avoid the situation in the past where opposition parties were shut out of collation centres.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, said that the ICCES resolved at the meeting that security must be provided at all the 4,065 voting points in Abia State in order to ensure a credible and violent free poll, adding that though the area to be covered is expansive, the security agencies were equal to the task.
He noted that political activities have commenced in earnest across the state and commended political actors and their supporters for the peaceful manner they have been going about their campaigns.
However, he said that the committee frowned at incidences of vandalism of bill boards and posters by agents of rival political parties, while warning that those involved would be made to face the full weight of the law when arrested.
“We want to commend the people of Abia for the peaceful process so far,” he said, adding that election is not a do or die venture hence all political actors should conduct themselves in a manner that would not make election to constitute source of sorrow and disharmony to the country.
The police boss also assured all parties and their candidates that security agencies would maintain neutrality in discharge of their functions before, during and after the elections while security would be provided for all stakeholders in the election process.
