INEC distributes 70 per cent permanent voter cards in Kogi

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state has so far distributed 926, 740 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) (70.36 percent) of the total 1, 317, 095 it received, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hussaini Halilu Pai, said over the weekend.

   Speaking at an interactive seminar on security awareness, violence-free elections and sensitization on PVCs, organised by the non-governmental Kogi Transformation Network (KOTRAN), Pai said the outstanding is 390, 355 (29.64 percent). He added that distribution was ongoing at the 239 wards of the state from 8a.m to 5p.m daily till March 8.

   “Let me reiterate here that eligible voters that have lost the Temporary Voters Cards (TVC) should go to the polling units where they registered with a copy of their passport photograph and would be issued an ‘authentication form’ that would be collected and their PVC issued to them. Be reminded that without PVC, no voting,” he said.

   He noted that the commission adopted the use of PVC, which contains the entire details of the voter, including photograph, fingerprint templates and biodata of the registrant to sanitize and bring credibility to the electoral process.

PDP will win 30 states, says Adeyemi

Meanwhile, Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West) is not in doubt that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will clinch victory in at least 30 of the 36 states of the federation in the forthcoming general election‎s.

   Speaking after a closed-door meeting with Lokoja/Koto PDP leaders in Lokoja yesterday, Adeyemi, who is bidding for a third term in the Senate, said he was confident that his party would win at all levels.

   He is contending with Dino Melaye of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Samuel Aro of the Accord Party (AP) and Toyin Akanle of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). 

   According to him, “the fact that a party is moving supporters from one state to another does not translate to winning election. When the chips are down you will understand what I am talking about.”

   He noted that PDP is the only party consistent with its name, compared to others that came together as a result of internal conflicts and utter frustration. He added: “The PDP is the only well articulated party and for Kogi West, I know there is no opposition from the other parties. In Kogi Central or even in the East, I do not see any formidable opposition against the PDP.”

   On the issue of youth restiveness in his district, he defended that the youths are well behaved and that he was working as hard as he could to get many of them employed. 

He asked the people to go ahead to collect their PVCs to ensure they vote.