By Ladi Patrick
A group under the auspices of Equity International Initiative has urged the Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure transparency in the voter’s cards excesses to avoid refranchising citizens who are eligible to vote in the 2019 general election.
Country director of the group, Amb. Chris Iyama who made the call during a world press conference on the state of the nation yesterday in Abuja, alleged that INEC had omitted over a million names from the voter’s register across the country.
Iyama said, “From the research we conducted, we gathered that some voters names were omitted from the voters register that was published and we have approached INEC to ensure that those names are restored before the elections to avoid further complaint.
“A lot of citizens have been complaining that they stood under the sun to register and at the end of the day, their names were omitted from the voter’s register so we are using this opportunity to appeal to INEC to ensure that they do the needful to ensure equity and justice for all registered voters across the federation, he added.
He added that, “we in equity international, we represent equity and justice for all citizens no mater your religion and that is why we are calling on INEC to do everything possible in ensuring that the 2019 elections are credible, free and fair.
“We conducted a research and we gathered that citizens who registered, their names were removed from the voters register that was published recently by INEC. Our major concern is that citizens that are registered all have access to vote during the election without being refranchised.
He added that although INEC, has directed that those whose names were omitted would be looked into, however, we want to appeal to the umpire body to do the needful by resolving these challenges before the elections.
The group insisted that citizens were expecting a credible poll that would usher in a government of their choice that would deliver the dividends of democracy they had been yearning for.
It added failure to address the complaints would undermine the credibility of INEC and that might not fulfill their hope of good governance.
Iyama, therefore, warned the electoral umpire, security agencies and political parties against rigging the election saying: “Let this note of warning be sounded that anyone, no matter how powerful, will not be spared if any attempt is made to rob us.”
The group alleged that certain elements had perfected plans to rig the poll and warned that any attempt to do so would be met with a stiff resistance.
The group also appeal to the federal government and ASSU go back to the negation table to resolve the crisis to end the strke.
