Only PVC will be used in Kaduna State council poll, says electoral commission

The Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) has said only those with Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) would be allowed to vote on May 12 in the local council election.Head, Voters Education, John Bulus, who stated this shortly after a dialogue with political stakeholders in Kaduna over the weekend noted that, temporary voter’s card (TVC)would not be allowed because the commission would be using smart card reader during the election.

“If we are talking about credibility of the election, we need to accredit the real voters and the only way to do that is to use the PVC,” Bulus restated.But in a reaction, Chairman of Labour Party (LP) and Conference of Nigerian Political Party (CNPP), Umar ibrahim Mairakumi said, the electoral laws agreed that those with TVC can take part in the election.

To him, “SIECOM is behaving as if its confused. To me, they have not put their house in order otherwise they will not come to the public to ridicule themselves. Because I wonder why they should come here and tell us that if you don’t have PVC you cannot vote.“The law said if you have a voters card and that is why we are saying people with TVC should be allowed to vote.

“So, what I can tell you is that the opposition is sidelined and we are not been carried along in whatever government is doing and that is why you can see even within the ruling APC, everything is in shambles with a lot of crisis. So for us we are just watching them. But we have been advising them on what to do. For us we are maintaining the peace.’’

To Bulus, “What they have raised were not allegations. Political parties are our main stakeholders. Our role is to conduct elections and the political parties present the candidates.“So whatever issues they have raised , we have responded adequately. There are issues but at the end of the matter, we all understood ourselves, that there are issues we need to look at and some they need to readdress.

“On the primaries, I don’t know whether it is APC, but what I know is that a forum of political parties wrote to the commission asking for extension of time to complete their process and it was granted.

“As far as we are concerned it has not affected our schedule in any way, for example if the closing date for primaries was 27 and they are asking for three days, it has not reached the time for the election so there is nothing wrong.”

Is just for us to consider them because they had a need and they approach us to assist, so I don’t think that should be an issue, in as much as it is within our power”, he said.

Earlier, Executive Director, Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women (LEADS-NIG) the organiser of the dialogue, Rebecca Sako-John said, her organisation with support from Christian Aid Nigeria under Voice to the People (V2P) project in Kaduna State brought the critical stakeholders together for the purpose of peaceful local council election.