INEC’ll conduct elections as scheduled —IBB

IBADAN— THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, warned yesterday that any voter caught with fake Permanent Voters Card, PVC, during the general elections re-scheduled for next month will go to jail.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, Amb. Rufus Akeju, disclosed this in Ibadan even as former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) expressed optimism that INEC will conduct the elections as scheduled.

Akeju, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Ibadan, yesterday, vowed that INEC would not allow any form of rigging during the elections.

He said: “Any voter who is thinking of voting with a fake PVC during the general elections should shelve the idea now because doing so would land them in jail.”

The INEC boss also said mechanisms had been put in place by the commission to check rigging and ensure credible elections.

“For example, it impossible for anybody to steal ballot papers in the name of rigging because there cannot be more than 750 ballot papers in any polling unit,” he said.

Akeju also said that a total of 1,563,800 PVCs had been distributed by INEC in the state.

INEC’ll conduct elections as scheduled —IBB

Meanwhile, former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) says he is optimistic that INEC will conduct elections as rescheduled.

He spoke in Minna when he received members of Arewa Citizens Action for Change on Saturday. He said people should not look at insecurity as a problem restricted to a particular zone of the country but as a problem confronting the entire country.

He said: “I think people should not see the insecurity as restricted to North-East alone; it is the problem of the entire country. Nigeria is under insurgency not only North-East. Nigerians should see it from that perspective and for that, they should support the military to end the insurgency.”

On whether the shifting of election date will affect the outcome of the election, he said the election would be conducted peacefully considering the arrangement on ground.

He also urged INEC to improve in the provision of information in respect of PVCs, especially on where to collect them.

Babangida commended members of the group for propagating the gospel of peace, particularly at this period where electioneering was at its peak.

In his remark, state coordinator of the group, Malam Mohammed Mohammed, appealed to INEC to conduct peaceful and credible elections.