450, 560 Voters Yet To Collect PVCS In Osun -- Official

Ahead of the much anticipated gubernatorial election in Osun State, about 450, 560 eligible voters are yet to claim their Permanent Voters Cards in the state.

This was disclosed by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, which he said represents 31.94percent of the PVCs received in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, yesterday, Agbaje said that the INEC had distributed 960,124 PVCs to eligible voters out of the 1,410,684 that registered in the state as at July 31, 2014, representing 68.06 percent.

The Osun REC also assured the people of the state of free, fair and credible election come next Saturday, adding that about 10,432 ad hoc staff has been recruited for the exercise from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), from Osun, Ekiti, Kwara, Oyo, Ondo and Kogi states.

He debunked insinuations from some political parties that INEC had concluded arrangement to rig the election for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying the allegations were not true and figment of the imagination of those that made them.

Said he, “The Commision has no plan whatsoever to connive or collaborate with either the PDP or any other political party to either under-supply any LGA or induce corps members that would be used as Ad-hoc staff during the election”

“ I therefore want to strongly advice all stakeholders in the Osun State Governorship Election especially the political party leaders and contestants to desist from making unguarded utterances and unfounded allegations as these constitute distractions to INEC and are unnecessarily overheating the polity.

“ Rather than making statements that will create fears in the minds of the Osun electorate,it is better for our political party leaders to join hands with INEC to encourage our people to come out enmass with their PVCs on election day to vote for the candidate of their choice and to let their followers know that violence, malpractices, thuggery and other election vices are not only crimes, but wicked forces that could distort the success of the coming election”, Agbaje said.

Agbaje further said that 3,379 voting points have been created to accelerate the process of accreditation and voting processes, adding that resuscitation of 202 Registration Area Centers (RACs), for the camping of election officials and materials to ensure their early arrival at polling units have also been put in place.

Agbaje added that adequate security for peaceful conduct of the election has also been put in place. The explained that about three security operatives would be deployed to a polling unit, while all the whole Local Government Councils in the state would be beefed up through coordinated motorised patrols of security personnel to forestall any breakdown of law and order by unscrupulous elements.

He disclosed that out of 1,407,222 registered voters in the state, 661,394 are male representing 47percent, while 745,828 representing 53percent are female. While maintaining that only those with their permanent voters cards will be eligible to vote during the election, he advised that those who are yet to collect their PVCs to collect them before next Monday.

He, however, warned staff of the commission to adhere strictly to their oath of affirmation and neutrality, saying that anyone caught with malpractices or partake in illegal activity will be dealt with decisively.

DailyTmes