By Anne Azuka
Resident Electoral Commissioner ( REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Delta State, Rev. Monday Udoh Tom bemoaned the turnout of voters for the ongoing display of voters register for claims and objections as well as the collection of Personal Voters Card ( PVC’S) across the state.
Speaking yesterday after the inspection of voters on the display of voters register for claims and objections in several local governments across Delta North Senatorial district, Rev. Monday lamented the poor outing from voters in the ongoing exercise.
He urged Nigerians to take the exercise as their own saying that the Commission needs the help our well meaning Nigerians to reduce mistakes and errors in voters register for the 2023 elections.
He almost expressed displeasure over the 300, 000 uncollected voters card across the state.
He maintained that the officials of INEC are available at their respective post to attend to voters in their Communities.
According to Rev. Tom- Udoh, ” Today is the fourth day for the display of voters register for claims and objections and we have gone round to see that INEC officials are on ground to attend to Nigerians but it is unfortunate that people are not really coming out to make use of this space.
Just few persons have come for their cards across all centers, what they do is to wait till it is a day to the closure of PVC collection when they would almost bring down the gate to do so.
The exercise for voters register on claim and objections would end on Saturday but i am not encouraged by what i am seeing”.
He urged electoral stakeholders and political parties to mobilize their supporters to get their PVC’s.
” We have electoral officers in every local government and their duty is to call a stakeholders meeting before this kind of exercise and they have done that. It is expected that the stakeholders would take the message back to their immediate Community.
“They also talked to traditional rulers who are opinion molders in the community; we also go on air. We expect elites to talk to their people as well as political parties who are beneficiaries, to urge their followers to get their PVCs. It is not about going to campaign of 2 million people while only 500 persons have their PVCs. It is not the best.
“We are asking everyone to collaborate with INEC because we are rendering a thankless service. Though we can do it alone, we want others to do what the media is doing. What we want is to see people in their numbers claiming or making objections but no one is making objections.
Maybe people have died but no one is saying these things then we go ahead to print the PVCs for them, It ought not to be so”
He revealed that PVCs registered in 2022 would be available before the end of the year as efforts are made to prevent disenfranchisement of voters in 2023.
” I am in that state but the National have ensured us that the PVCs registered in 2022 would arrive in Delta by the end of the month. Collection of PVC’s would end in a week to the elections” he asserted.
END.
