Only Registered IDPs Will Vote; INEC Has Achieved 75% PVCs Distribution – Jega

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

Only registered Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be allowed to vote in the coming February general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

The commission also noted that only those still within the three troubled states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe would be allowed to participate in the elections.

There are between 981,000 to one million IDPs.

Speaking this morning at a stakeholder’s workshop on Internally Displaced Persons and 2015 general election, INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega said the Commission would be setting up special centres for the IDPs to vote, stressing that it is the least that could be done to allow for their participation, according to The Nation.

Jega also said that the centres would be used for the distribution of Permanent Voters Card.

He also announced that no centre would be created in IDPs camps.

At a separate event, the INEC Chairman, disclosed that the electoral umpire has achieved 75 per cent in the production and distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Jega promised that all eligible voters would have gotten their PVCs before the commission will lower the curtain on distribution by the end of this month, preparatory for the general elections on February 14 and 28.

The INEC chief spoke, who spoke yesterday at a two-day conference organized by Bayero University, Kano, (BUK) entitled: “INEC and the 2015 General Elections: Expectations, Prospects and Challenges,” also accused politicians of threatening INEC officials on duty as well as inducing with monetary gratification to dance to their tunes.

According to him, the disposition and the change of attitude by politicians would determine the attainment of credible, free and fair elections next month. He said politicians are bent on winning elections, “by hook or crook.” Prof. Jega assured that INEC would be ready to conduct elections in the troubled Northeastern states with adequate security arrangement, even as admitted that elections would come with serious challenges.

He, however, expressed optimism that with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the elections will turn out the best the country has ever had.

His words: “At the end of it all it is the voter that will give the final decision in the process. As election management body, we will do our possible best to provide level playing ground.

“We are humans and we are doing our best, but that could not be enough that is why we are calling on all stakeholders to also put in their best. Together we can ensure that free, fair and credible elections are held. Nigerians should also use their election rights and improve in the credibility of the exercise

“We inherited over-bloated structure, but we have re-structured it for better, in terms of doing away with areas that were hitherto too loose and duplicating. On policy matter, we looked at both strategic and operational policies.

“We trained ourselves in maintaining to be non-partisan and highly professional. All necessary planning that could improve in an open, transparent and accountable elections are put in place.”

On the desperation of politicians to win elections, Jega accused politicians of threatening INEC officials on duty as well as inducing with monetary gratification to do their biddings.

According to the INEC chief, the Commission has received a number of cases where National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members working for INEC were threatened and stampeded by politicians when they turn down their offer.

“I am not bashing politicians, but the general tendency is disturbing as they want to win by hook or by crook,” Jega insisted.

He, however, urged politicians to change their attitude of desperation, adding that the February elections will be difficult for politicians to manipulate.

The INEC chairman also regretted a situation where politicians have resorted to cloning the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC), warning that such attempt would at the end be to their own detriment as the PVC is so programmed that faking it is impossible.

“Cloned cards cannot work in INEC reader machine,” Jega warned.

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad Lawan Uwais, who chaired the occasion, lauded INEC for its preparations ahead of the February polls.

In his remarks the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone One, Muhammad Tambari Yabo, warned politicians and their supporters to shun violence.

He reiterated the readiness of the police and sister security agencies to ensure adequate security of lives and property during the elections.

“We are determined more than ever before to provide a level playing ground to see that we have free, fair and credible election in this country where all other countries in the world will look up to us for exemplary election process and procedures,” Yabo stated.