Over one million voters in Ogun yet to get PVCs, says Amosun

PDP condemns governors visit to INEC office

GOVERNOR of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of scheming to disenfranchise over 1 million registered voters in the State.

    Amosun who spoke in Abeokuta disclosed that out of the 1.9 million registered voters in the State, the Commission had so far sent only 639 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) stressing that the remaining 1.3 voters would not be able to vote if their PVCs do not arrive before elections begin on Saturday, March 28.

     Physically disturbed Amosun stated that, in November INEC sent 625 PVCs meant for another State to Ogun State, which are still lying idle at the State INEC headquarters.

    According to the Governor, he personally wrote to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega to complain about the situation but he was yet to receive any response.

  His words “As I speak today, they (Commission) brought 1.3 cards but625 don’t belong to us”.

   According to him many registered voters in his Totoro, Abeokuta Ward 11, which is the same Ward of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, are yet to collect their PVC, because INEC is yet to send them.

 Amosun who spoke after a three-hour closed door meeting with the State INEC officials at the Commission’s Secretariat stated, “I have been here since morning but they (officials) had no good story to tell me re-enforcing my belief that somebody somewhere is behind this”.

  The Governor said, unlike other states, which receive their PVCs in bulk, the PVCs are sent to Ogun State in “batches”.

 The Governor appealed to INEC to do everything to ensure that no registered voter is denied his voting right through no fault of his or hers.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Campaign Organisation, in the state has condemned the visit of Amosun to INEC office, describing it as a gross violation of the independence of the commission and a subtle way to blackmail and compromise the electoral body.

  A Release by the organisation’s Director, Media and Publicity, Mr. Steve Oliyide in Abeokuta yesterday argued, “Governor Amosun, being a candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC) who is also standing for

election in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, just like every other candidate, has no legal and moral right to visit the INEC office to complain about the distribution of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in the state”.

    The release further said, “This is crass opportunism and open blackmail, aimed principally to compromise the integrity, neutrality and independence of the election umpire. We condemned this in totality”.

     “There are other windows open and available to vent any perceived, assumed or imagined ‘irregularities’ in the conduct and operations of any independent commission and or agency”

   The party noted, “For instance, Governor Amosun could issue press statement, grant press interviews or even write an official but open letter to the commission to register his protest, especially since he feels strongly about the unpopularity and dwindling political fortunes of his All Progressive Congress (APC) in the coming elections”.

 “Descending to such adventurous low of a visit to the commission is the height of executiive cluelessness and a gross sign of desperation on a dwindling political fortune”.

     “It should be emphasised, that by letters of the constitution, INEC is an independent commission and not only must it be seen to be so; the  sanctity of this ‘independence’ must be well preserved. 

It is ONLY under President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan that the neutrality, independence and autonomy of the commission has been absolutely protected and guaranteed, and no governor should be allowed to use his office to remove from this”.