Following the discontent over the poor distribution of permanent voters ?cards (PVC), about which citizens have expressed worry concerning the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) preparedness for the 2015 general elections, the Kogi State wing of the body has now narrowed the media organizations it would be dealing with.
The action has triggered insinuations that ?the electoral umpire, which is expected to use every available means to reach out to the electorate on all election-related issues, has something up its sleeves.
Nevertheless, INEC has urged political parties in the state to involve the electoral umpire in their activities in the run-up to the 2015 general elections as required by the law in case of litigation.
According to the Correspondent Chapel Chairman, Ademu Idakwo, “it is pertinent? to draw the attention of the resident electoral commissioner to the ugly trend that may jeopardise his sincere efforts, before it is too late.
He said the commissioner has over time proved his credibility, especially with the feat he recorded in Osun during the governorship election where he was adjudged to have conducted a free and transparent election. However, he warned that he should not allow his media handlers to soil his achievements, as INEC activities are public and should be open to all media.
Meanwhile, the media handlers, when contacted, said they were under instruction to invite only three national dailies alongside some local media for its recent meeting with chairmen and secretaries of political parties in the state.
They have continued to deny other media organization’s the opportunity to report on many of their activities as they have continued to shield a majority of them from their functions.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, who spoke during a meeting with chairmen and secretaries of political parties in Lokoja, said it was mandatory for parties to notify and invite the commission ?for its primaries to enable it appropriately report what transpired in case of litigation.
“The court will use the reports of INEC from congresses; if you conduct your congress outside the rules and somebody goes to court, we are not going to manufacture information, it is the report we have that we will present,” he explained.
“As the umpire, we have a role to play and in litigation INEC is always joined. We don’t want cases that will disturb the commission and all those involved, the time and money can be saved and used for other productive agenda.”
He reiterated that only the PVC would be used for voting? during the 2015 general elections and subsequent ones, stating that the commission has distributed 755, 777 PVCs out of 1,189, 356 received for the state, which represents 63.54 percent, while 433, 579 (36.46 percent) was yet to be collected by their owners.
On Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), he indicated that 130, 602 eligible voters have been registered during the CVR exercise that took place between May 28 and June 3, 2014.
According to him, “the commission is presently conducting the transfer of voters to enable registered voters ?who are seeking transfers to another polling unit/ward/LGA/state do so. So far, 554 inter-state and 272 intra-state transfer applications had been received and are being treated at present.”
Agbaje outlined the commission’s planned activities in the coming days to include courtesy calls on relevant agencies, some traditional rulers and religious leaders in the state, as well as meeting with stakeholders, pasting of voter education posters and distribution of voter education pamphlets and handbills.
Others are the resuscitation of registration area centres, publications and presentation of voters registrar to political parties 30 days to the election.
