The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kogi State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, has disclosed that the commission has distributed over 755,777cards out of the 1,189,265 Permanent Voters’ Cards for the state.
Speaking during a visit, by members of the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), of the Catholic Diocese of Lokoja, to his office, Agbaje said the figure which represented 63.54 per cent of the total cards released to the state at the commencement of the distribution exercise in May, this year, was an improvement on the 57 per cent recorded three months ago.
According to him, “As we speak, 433,488 cards, representing 36.44 per cent, are yet to be collected” believing that the commission would strive to attain 70 to 75 per cent distribution by January, next year.
He noted that 90 or 100 per cent distribution was impossible due to cases of relocation, transfer and multiple registrations, explaining that the commission encountered some problems with distribution of cards in Ibaji and Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Areas.
He promised credible elections come 2015, disclosing that out of the 26 registered political parties in the country, 19 had presence in Kogi State assuring that there would be no connivance with any of them as INEC would not condone illegality.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner charged politicians and their supporters to eschew violence, assuring that efforts would be made to ensure the elections were peaceful and devoid of violence.
The state Coordinator of JDPC, Rev. Fr Leonard Odomeja, told the commissioner that he was involved in civic education, election monitoring and Women/youth empowerment.
Odomeja, represented by the Programme Manager of the JDPC, Mr Simon Enejor said the commission was the link between the church and the society, for the purpose of achieving common goals including entrenchment of good governance.
