INEC: IDPs Will Vote in General Election

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Independent National Electoral Commission  INEC in Niger state has said that those displaced from their ancestral  homes as a result of insecurity have been identified and will vote in the general election.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner Alhaji Yushua Ahmed Garki  who disclosed this in Minna on Friday however said IDPs earlier identified in Rijau local government area have returned to their ancestral homes while new cases were recorded in Mokwa local government area as a result of communal clash.

Though Ahmed did not say the number of IDPs idenfied he however promised to oblige stakeholders with the details and where they will vote before the election.

“The Commission is making arrangements to conduct elections in the identified IDPs voting center so that such persons will not be disenfranchised” the Resident Electoral Commissioner who addressed an enlarged stakeholders meeting in his office said   disclosing also that voting will not take place in 10 polling units in Mashegu, Magama and Kontagora out of the over 240 polling units  where the exercise will not hold across the country because no voter opted to vote in these units.

Yushua Garki disclosed that the state has a total voting population of 2,698,344, with1,152,185 being female and the remaining male adding that 461,923 new Permanent Voters Cards PVCs were received with 418,542 people  collecting the documents as at 5th February when the exercise closed.

Similarly he revealed that 5,305 BVAs have been received with 4,940 configured for use during the election with the others placed in reserve for any eventuality.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner said the 18 political parties will be fielding 479 candidates for the national and state elections saying that of the contestants only 25 are female.

“We are in the final stages, this is because about 95% of the items required for the elections have been moved to the LGAs” he asserted.

Yushua Garki also revealed that 21,038 personnel’s that will be involved in the election are already being trained.

Also addressing the stakeholders the State Police Commissioner Mr Ogundele Ayodeji said the force and other security organisations in the state are ready for the election saying the police will provide the enabling environment for the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Ayodeji who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ali Kaigama declared : We have upped our game we are assuring you that we are ready to go, everybody should have it at the back of their minds that the election will be given desired attention”.

Virtually all the stakeholders at the meeting  applauded the preparation of the electoral body but were unanimous that the scarcity of Naira and fuel could affect the conduct of the election.