IDPs will not be disenfranchised in February elections says INEC

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it was determined to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were not disenfranchised in the February elections.

This is contained in the commission’s daily bulletin issued on Friday in Abuja.

To ensure that the IDPs exercise their franchise in the elections, INEC said it had scheduled a ‘’crucial meeting’’ with stakeholders on Tuesday.

Stakeholders expected at the meeting, according to the bulletin, are representatives of the governments of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as well as members and speakers of their Houses of Assembly.

Others, it said, included religious leaders, representatives of security agencies comprising, and civil society organizations.

It stated that the Directors-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, present and former resident electoral commissioners of the strife-stricken states, and INEC administrative secretaries in the states.

It recalled that INEC had, about two months ago, organised a roundtable to discuss IDPs participation in the electoral process.

Experts and academics generated brilliant ideas to address the issue of the IDPs which were submitted to the commission.

Thereafter, the commission set up a Task Force on how to get the IDPs to vote within the ambit of the extant laws,” it added. (NAN)