INEC plans mock election in Lagos, Rivers, others
An update on collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) released on Friday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that Kano State is leading nationwide with 4.112 million cards collected.
The figure showed Lagos State, on 17 February was leading with 3,685,322 losing that position as it only moved up to 3,693,355 by Thursday.
Kano State within those 13 days added 624,884 to its population of voters who had collected their PVCs, giving the state the new figure of 4,112,039, which represents 82.64 per cent of registered voters there.
The update, released by Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, a copy of which was e-mailed to Saturday Tribune, also showed Ogun State having the lowest rate with 44.2 per cent with 808,590 PVCs collected. Ogun State, by 17 February 2015, recorded 747,556 collected PVCs out of a total 1,829,534 registered voters.
Lagos State has 5,905,852 registered voters while Kano has 4,975,701. Bayelsa State has the least number of registered voters across the country with 610,373 out of which 404,119 have collected their PVCs.
INEC also announced that it had delivered 67,206,600 PVCs to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory out of which 54,327,747 had been collected as of Thursday.
INEC plans mock election
Arrangements are being concluded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of mock election in 12 states drawn from the six geo-political zones.
Saturday Tribune gathered that two states had been penciled in from each of the six zones for the exercise which will be held on March 7.
The states are: Lagos and Ekiti states for the South-West region; Anambra and Ebonyi states (South-East); Kano and Kebbi states (North-West); Bauchi and Taraba states (North-East); Delta and Rivers states (South-South); and Niger and Nasarawa states for the North-Central zone.
Saturday Tribune investigation revealed that two wards are to be selected in each of the 12 states for the test election which will be conducted in all the polling units of the wards.
The decision, it was learnt, is to lay to rest, controversy trailing the planned use of card readers to make the integrity of voter accreditation, which is an important aspect of the election, foolproof.
The planned use of the innovation had been a subject of litigation with groups and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approaching the court to stop the use of card readers for the March 28 and April 11 elections.
INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, had told those opposed to the use of the technology that they had nothing to worry about, as the machines would give more credibility to this year’s elections.
Saturday Tribune’s investigation showed that no logo or name of any of the approved 28 political parties would be on the dummy ballot paper to be used for the election, since the aim is to test-run the card readers customised for each of the polling units for accuracy and effectiveness.
It was gathered that the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the concerned states will be called for a meeting in Abuja early next week to be briefed about the development.
The outcome of the mock election will determine whether INEC will proceed with the deployment of card readers for the forthcoming elections or not.
Meanwhile, the national president of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), which is an umbrella body for 45 civil society organisations across the country, Mr Olufemi Aduwo, has advised the political class to stop overheating the polity with the clamour for Jega’s removal.
Aduwo, who spoke with Saturday Tribune on alleged plan to direct Jega to proceed on terminal leave, warned that such decision would set in motion a chain of dangerous happenings that could weaken the health of the country’s democracy.
“Those calling for Jega’s removal are ignorant of constitutional provisions. If they are saying Jega should go on terminal leave, the same thing is applicable to all the national commissioners who were appointed and sworn in same day as Jega.
“Are we ready to create vacuum by asking them to go on terminal leave when elections are about a month? Nigerians should have confidence in Jega. It was APC that was initially attacking Jega; but now it is the PDP.
“It is when politicians know they cannot penetrate anybody that they throw up all kinds of arguments. Politicians should not mislead President Goodluck Jonathan. Mr President should let Jega be.
“There is no room for rigging by any party with the new innovations Jega has put in place. Elections are conducted at polling units and results declared therein in the presence of party agents. How will Jega manipulate the elections with this arrangement and approach?” he asked.
Source: Tribune
