INEC expresses worries over violent party primaries

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is worried over spate of violence witnessed in some parties in the just-concluded parties’ primaries in Enugu.

The INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, disclosed this on Friday when he addressed members of the Civil Society Organisations and Inter-Party Advisory Council in a meeting in Enugu.

The meeting focused on “The State of Preparedness of INEC, Comments on Parties’ Primaries and Display of Permanent Voters Register (PVR) by the Commission for Next Elections in the State’’.

Ononamadu described as worrisome the magnitude of issues and violence that greeted the parties’ primaries, which was unknown in the history of primary elections in the state.

He, however, expressed the hope that such ugly incidents would not repeat as the people (citizens) vote in next year elections.

The REC noted that it was the collective responsibility of the citizens to ensure that violence would not be exported into the general election and then the citizens turn back to blame INEC.

On the preparedness, Ononamadu said that the total number of registered voters in the state for the election is 1,978,547.

He added that out of the national fresh registration of 14,551,482; Enugu State registered 549,326, noting that out of the national transfer request of 769,917; Enugu State had 5,427 transfers.

Ononamadu said the commission had 4,190 Smart Cards Readers (SCRs); which show a balance 534 extra SCRs as backups.

“While the total of uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) stand at 175,678 both 2014 and2018 PVCs.

“The number of uncollected PVCs is worrisome and this summit is expected to find solution to it, in addition to what we have done in the past.

“Out of the 1,958,000 registered voters in Enugu state, only 1,504,858 have collected their PVCs as at November, 11, 2018 and therefore ready for 2019 General Elections,’’ he said.

According to him, owners of 175,678 uncollected PVCs should go to our offices and collection points to pick up theirs.