The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Festus Okoye has assured emphatically that the Commission is determined in conducting a credible elections in the coming general elections.
The commissioner who disclosed this during a working visit to Umuahia the Abia state capital on a monitoring/ supervisory exercise on the progress level in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), noted that 200,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System would be deployed for next year’s election and spare machine in polling units.
He explained that the commission’s commitment to credible election next year is not in doubt and promised not to let Nigerians down stating that maximum technology to stem the tide of break down of equipment in polling units ahead of 2023 general election is guaranteed.
Reacting on voters Operation, Okoye decried the upsurge in vote buying among politicians but added that those doing so prior to election are only denying the electorates the opportunity to exercise their franchise to their detriment.
He commended the youth’s for their positive turn out for the exercise and asked them not to just register but to also collect their PVCs when they are out and also turn up for the election.
Okoye further explained that assistive devices has been procured to assist persons with disabilities adding that pregnant women, nursing mothers will be given maximum inclusiveness during the exercise.
On the part of deployment of election. materials, he said that the commission has signed a memorandum of understand with national association of road transporters which would be replicated in all the states as well as alternative arrangements in case of any ugly development.
The commissioner also warned against duoble registration adding that once registered remains registered except the need for updates which may need little adjustments or change.
He called on those who claimed they retrieved some PVCs in some unauthorised locations across the country to return them to any INEC office to ascertain geniuity of the cards.
