How politicians frustrated last voter’s registration exercise – AKISIEC Boss

How politicians frustrated last voter’s registration exercise – AKISIEC Boss

BY KENNETH JUDE

The Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission Chairman, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak has made shocking revelations of how some politicians in Akwa Ibom State frustrated the effort of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in ensuring that every citizen of voting age has a voter’s card in the State.

Speaking during the week in Uyo while addressing citizens of the state from Uyo Local Government Area as part of the state-wide voters’ mobilization and sensitization exercise carried out by the commission, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak said some politicians in the state are hoarding thousands of voter’s cards thinking that they can use such cards for their selfish interest during elections.

He lamented that such act disenfranchise the owners of the cards and frustrates the effort of INEC in ensuring that the citizens of voting age are enrolled and given their voter’s cards.

“Some politicians have up to 1000 to 2000 cards in their houses. What are they keeping those cards for? When you hoard other citizens’ card in your house, you are disenfranchising those citizens. If you have 2000 voter’s card in your custody, you are disenfranchised 2000 citizens. So, if you have other citizens’ voter’s cards with you, release those cards to the right owners because they will not be of any use to you and keeping those cards is a criminal offence,” Mr Ikoiwak said.

The AKISIEC chairman also revealed that some politicians used to go to the extent of influencing some INEC officials to take registration machines that was programmed for a particular polling unit to another location, an act which he said often leads to the appearance of voter’s names in a different location from their polling unit.

Responding to the appeal of the citizens for more polling units, Mr. Ikoiwak said that polling units are created based on the voting strength of a particular area.

“Polling units are created as a result of the voting strength in a polling unit. If you have many voters in your village, more voting point will be created.”

The AKISIEC Chairman also assured the people of Uyo that more registration machines will be made available at various registration centers to take care of the citizens that are coming to enroll for their voter’s card.

Also speaking, Mr Charles Udoh, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, enlightened the people of Uyo that they can only decide who governs them through their voter’s card. He stressed that good leaders can only be voted to power when citizens are ready to rise and perform their civic duty. He advised the people that prayers alone without registering for their voter’s card cannot bring good leaders to power in the forthcoming elections.

The AKISIEC chairman, during interaction with journalists, expressed happiness with the response of the ongoing voter’s registration exercise across the state. He described the turnout as impressive and warned the people not to give out their voter’s card to any politician for any reason.

In his speech, Ette Idung Silvanus Okon, the Clan Head of Offot Ukwa, thanked AKISIEC for the voters’ mobilization and sensitization exercise and assured the commission that traditional rulers will do everything possible to encourage citizens in various villages to go out and register for their voter’s card. He however appealed to INEC to provide more registration machines at the various registration units to take care of the large number of people that are coming out to enroll for their voter’s card.

In his appreciation, Mr Imoh Okon, the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Area who appreciated AKISIEC for the sensitization programme, also encouraged politicians to educate their followers on the importance of registering for their voter’s card.