PVC: Ohanaeze reveals INEC game-plan to short-change Ndigbo

Ahead 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of deliberately denying the people of the South-East Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) registration materials in order to ensure they are under registered.

The accusation was made by the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who said that the allegation came following investigation on the matter and not by mere talks.

Nwodo, who stated this in Enugu on Monday when the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr. Emeka Ononamadu, paid him courtesy visit, added that Ndigbo in the North are also being discriminated against in the course of the PVC registration exercise.

“I am of the conclusion that INEC has deliberately denied this area of registration materials in order to ensure that we are under registered. I say this not because I am the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo but as a lawyer who respects evidence.

“Let me use my home as example. I come from Ukehe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area. Last week, I went home to check what was going on, but my local government area had the presence of INEC in less than three polling units. In my ward, INEC was present in only one polling unit in my village.

“Although the INEC staff was very hard-working, the maximum registration they can achieve in a day was 48 people and there were twice the number waiting who were not registered. My projection is that in two days, they were able to register 96 voters against over 500,” Nwodo said.

READ ALSO: IGP Idris cause of worsening herdsmen killings in Benue –Buhari

On what Ohanaeze is willing to do in order to stop the alleged shortchanging of the Igbos, Nwodo said, “If you want us to pay to hire more machines, we will are ready to do so, if you want us to pay for staff that you may not have enough to deploy to our places, we are prepared to raise money from Igbos.”

On the discrimination against Ndigbo in the exercise in the North, he said, “Our people in the North told me that in the queues, the indigenes are treated before them. And I like to use this opportunity of your presence here to ask that you send this message to your headquarters. This kind of discrimination of Igbos in the registration is not good and healthy for our national polity.”

The state REC had earlier disclosed that the visit was part of its outreach to critical stakeholders in election process which Ohanaeze Ndigbo is one of the major stakeholders.

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now