As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commences the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration today, April 27, 2017, Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, Bro. Felix Obuah, has called on the Commission to ensure the exercise is transparent and devoid of discrimination, manipulation and intimidation.

The Rivers PDP Chairman also welcomed the exercise, believing that it would improve the data base and increase voters’ participation in the forthcoming general elections, only if it is done credibly and without bias by the handlers of the process.

Obuah particularly called on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as well as the INEC Commissioner, Mrs Amina Zakari not to see the exercise as another opportunity to demonstrate their preference and ‘loyalty’ to a particular political party and section of the country, as kinsmen to the President but should rather prove to Nigerians that they are detribalized, apolitical, and objectively carrying out the mandate of a federal and independent Commission.

He believes that the Voter Registration exercise offers the Commission another opportunity to correct its already battered image, by doing the right and proper thing and to ensure that all units and wards in the 774 LGAs in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory are accurately covered in terms of fresh registration and distribution of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

The PDP Chairman observed that apart from helping to consolidate the nation’s democracy, the success of the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration would greatly impact on the conduct of the forthcoming elections, and therefore put the Commission on test as it engages in the exercise.

The Party therefore, calls on all eligible citizens, particularly all those who have turned 18 years of age since the last registration, as well as those who did not register during the last exercise, to come out en-mass to the various registration centres and ensure they are duly registered.

The PDP also urged all its members and eligible electorate who have the Temporary Voters Cards (TVCs) but whose names are on the register to ensure they collect their PVCs to avoid being issued to impostors by unscrupulous elements and agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as witnessed in previous elections.

The Rivers PDP Chairman further charged all relevant security agencies and institutions to commit themselves more to ensuring that the voter registration exercise was not manipulated by the APC, or compromised by officials of the Commission, as every qualified Nigerian has the right of participation in the exercise, as contained in the Electoral Act 2016 (as amended) without being intimidated, denied, or coerced by any superior power or authority.

“It’s important that the Commission ensures its staff involved in the registration are always at their duty post during the hours of the exercise, and not to hoard the PVCs/TVCs, and to allow equal free access to all potential registrants, no matter the sex, political affiliation, state of origin, or religions background,” Obuah emphasised.

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