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Raises alarm over 101,617 uncollected PVCs in seven LGAs
From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said 14 political parties registered for the forthcoming Edo State by-elections to fill the vacant seats in the Ovia Federal Constituency and in the Edo Central Senatorial District, but only nine participated in the primaries.
Recall that both seats were declared vacant when the member representing the Ovia Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, emerged as deputy governor, and the Senator representing the Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, emerged as Edo State governor.
The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Anugbum Onuoha, disclosed this while briefing journalists on its activities ahead of the by-elections in the state.
He listed the parties participating to include Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Prof. Onuoha said five others that indicated their interest in participating in the by-elections did not conduct their primaries, as INEC officials visited the addresses stated for the day of their primaries but, to their greatest amazement, found the offices locked.
Onuoha said that, besides those political parties that indicated their interest in the election, the Labour Party (LP) did not notify INEC of its intention to participate in the election. Therefore, its primary was neither known nor monitored by INEC officials.
“Fourteen political parties expressed interest. They gave us their address, we went there, and we didn’t see anybody. Those ones include Accord, Boot Party, National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Young Progressive Party (YPP); they closed their offices.
“So, 14 expressed their interest, but the other five closed their offices. So, Labour Party didn’t express their interest,” Onuoha said.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, while expressing his sadness over the unwillingness of intending voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), said a total of 101,617 uncollected PVCs are recorded in the seven local government areas participating in the election.
He added that, out of the 719,504 registered for the election, only 617,887 have collected their PVCs.
He assured the residents of the affected areas of free, fair, and credible by-elections in the state.
He also said all modalities to ensure a smooth exercise have been put in place, just as he urged the residents to go out en masse to cast their votes for their chosen candidates.
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