The Lagos office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has received a total of 5,995 smart cards and the first batch of 5,000 ballot boxes in preparation for the forthcoming general elections.
This was announced today at the Commission’s office in Lagos by Akin Orebiyi, the new resident electoral commissioner of INEC in Lagos.
The new commissioner revealed that the Commission has already started a test- run of the card readers in Abuja adding that “it takes roughly two minutes to vote using these cards. The test-run will be done all over the country.”
While apologizing to residents of Lagos for the hitches in collecting their PVCs, Orebiyi said the Commission is working seriously to address the situation.
He announced that the distribution of PVCs has now been extended from the present 20 local government offices to the 245 coalition centers across the state.
“From Friday, January 16, collection will be possible from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm daily including weekends. People should come out we still have about 1.8 million PVCs yet to be collected. We must know that these cards cannot be collected by proxy,” Oreboyi said.
While fielding questions from journalists, Orebiyi who was transferred from Ondo State assured that INEC will continue to create a level-playing ground for all parties and their candidates.
“Our doors are always open for enquiries and consultations. If there are issues that need clarification let us know,” he said.
He however urged political parties to focus on issue-based campaigns and avoid personal attacks, abuses, accusations, violence as well as tearing and defacing of each other’s posters and billboards.
Orebiyi added that the inter-agency consultative committee on Election Security which comprises all the nation’s security agencies, INEC and other stakeholders is working seriously to provide protection for all citizens before, during and after the elections.
“Therefore to all lovers of terror and designers of violence; riggers of elections and supplanters of the people’s will, there will be no place for you in the forthcoming elections,” the new Lagos INEC boss said.
Orebiyi pledged to improve on the efforts of Adekunle Ogunmola his predecessor who has been transferred to Osun State. In the list released yesterday by INEC only 68.8 million Nigerians are so far eligible to vote in the much-awaited elections.
WhatsApp us