From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
A group serving as a proponent of former Governor Segun Oni governorship candidacy in the Social Democratic Party(SDP) for the June 18 poll in Ekiti State, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) against compromising the standard in the ongoing registration for Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs) in the state.
The group under the acronym “Ekiti Bring Back Better”(EBBB), seriously warned the INEC staff against compromising the integrity of the commission, by engaging in what it called “selective registration”.
It averred that it would be counterproductive for INEC to allegedly be capturing the supporters of a particular candidate at the expense of others, saying such rumour was rife and it has to be guarded against to infuse sanity and save the commission’s image from being tainted.
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, EBBB spokesman, Idowu Adelusi, said it finds the rumour flying around that only perceived supporters of a candidate were being registered by INEC in the last minute voters’ capturing so rattling and disturbing.
The EBBB spokesman alerted the INEC about alleged clandestine moves being made by some politicians of the All Progressives Congress(APC) extraction of importing prospective voters from other states for registration, urging it to be vigilant and look out for cases of double registration.
Adelusi said all eligible voters in Ekiti must be registered in the last minute rush by INEC, regardless of their political beliefs and leanings.
He said voter registration is a strategic and pivotal aspect of electioneering process that guarantees participatory democracy, wiping out apathy and boosting of universal suffrage of citizens within any democratic system that should be prosecuted with utmost honesty and sincerity.
The Spokesman warned that nothing should be done by the commission or those he described as “desperate politicians”, to sabotage the process and abridge the rights of citizens to vote during elections.
“The EBBB as a political pressure group is not by this statement casting aspersion or impugning on the integrity of the electoral commission. We have implicit confidence in the leadership of Prof Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC to give us the best election on June 18 in Ekiti State, nothing short of this is acceptable.
“But we are abashed and ditto alarmed that politicians could be plotting to take over the primary and statutory function of INEC, by allegedly sieving voters and determine who should be registered and those not to be registered.
“Though, we are not oblivious of the fact that voter mobilisation is part of the duties of parties, but this should not dovetail to parties taking over the functions of INEC, by dictating who to be registered or rejected.
“We owe that belief that INEC will rise above pedestrianism in the coming election, by allowing the votes of Ekiti people count, because their verdicts is necessary to validate who occupies the governorship seat. This is their statutory duty and no one should strip them of this power.
“We call on INEC chairman and Ekiti Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Adeniran Tella, to be watchful and warn their staff against serving as fifth columnists, or act in any shady manner that could smear their images, or put them to ridicule in this impending poll,” the group stated.