Over 400,000 registered voters yet to claim their voters’ cards ― REC

THE Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, stated this when he received the audience members of the state correspondent chapel.

He further said that INEC in the State had decided to create more distribution outlets to ensure quick distribution of the voters’ cards so that the people would not be disenfranchised.

According to him, that out of the above-mentioned number, Wailomayo council ward alone in Makurdi local government, has the highest number of the unclaimed PVCs which is over 12,000.

“We are going to create enough PVCs distribution points in the various wards to enable all eligible voters collect their cards if not, one-fourth of the Benue population will be disenfranchised if we don’t take the cards to them.”

“We have embarked upon enlightenment campaign and there is a mega rally across the 3 senatorial districts in the State starting from the 18, October 2018.

“Base on the huge number of PVCs that are pending, the commission is organizing a mega sensitization rally in all the senatorial zones of the State to enlightened the public on the need to collect their PVCs before elections begin. The rally will take place from the 18th of October and will repeat the same process on the 6th to 12th of November this year.”

ALSO READ: Even without VP slot, PDP will win S/West ― Fayose

“The commission has introduced innovations in the voting system to reduce rigging in the forthcoming General elections to the nearest minimum which includes tracking of electoral materials, customization of ballot papers as well as the serial number for each polling unit.”

“As from next week, we are going to displace list of eligible voters to afford political parties and other stakeholders to raise an issue about underaged voters, foreigners and people who have complaint,” he stated.

Dr Yilwatda said, accreditation of voters would be done simultaneously with voting, while transmission of election results would be done at the polling units using new communication gadgets.

“INEC is trying as much as it can to ensure that every single individual’s vote count, the polling unit would be restructured in such a way that party agents will not have access to voters, anybody who will not be able to vote by his or herself would be helped by INEC presiding officers, not party agents”

“The commission has also designed the ballot papers to accommodate those living with disabilities, especially the blind and deaf,” he said.