By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
Kogi state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Hale Gabriel Longpet has raised concerns on the destructions of campaign posters of candidates of political parties across the state.
He raised the concern during a meeting with the media and civil society organizations to discuss INEC preparations, low-level of PVC collection and potential threats to electoral violence in the state.
According to Dr Longpet, in a particular local government area, the posters of a particular candidate were torn overnight saying such ‘lawless’ act by rival political parties could trigger violence prior to elections as “peaceful elections border on the conduct of political actors” in the state.
He added that INEC will indicate the political parties, candidates and their supporters who break the electoral law to the police for prosecution to serve as deterrent to others.
“A level playing ground must be created for all parties and candidates with equal air space in the state-owned media,” he said warning that INEC will not allow unhealthy manner of campaigns in the runoff to the elections to discredit the process.
“Hence, all electoral offenders will be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the electoral act.”
He warned that sections 91 -97 of the electoral act strictly forbid the use of thugs to disrupt rallies, campaigns in places of worship, among other offences as criminal acts under the electoral law.
On the PVC collection rate, Dr Longpet said out of about 52,000 uncollected PVCs in 2019, only a fraction of the figure has been collected by the registrants while a large amount of PVCs still remained with INEC.
The Commission called on the people who had registered for the PVCs to come forward to INEC offices and registration areas for immediate collection of the unclaimed PVCs.
The REC cited a particular local government area where only eight persons out of 35,000 registrants have collected the PVCs.
He added that collection of PVCs, which had begun since November 12 continues till 2 January, 2013.
He called on critical stakeholders such as the media and civil society to be in the vanguard of creating public awareness on the on-going collection of the permanent voters cards.
