INEC officials arrested for extorting voters for PVCs – REC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has
handed over some of its staff caught extorting potential voters
before attending to them at registration centres.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State,
Mike Igini, said this in a phone call in during the Sunrise Daily
programme of Channels Television on Saturday.

INEC has moved Mr Igini to Bayelsa as the new REC for the
state.

The general election kicks off on Saturday with the presidential
and National Assembly polls.

Recall complaints from Nigerians over the difficulties they
encountered in trying to collect their permanent voters cards
(PVCs).

INEC on Friday extended the deadline for the collection of the
PVCs by three days to Monday, five days before the presidential and
National Assembly elections on February 12.

Mr Igini confirmed the reports from Nigerians about the conducts
of some INEC officials during the registration and collection
process.

He said some of the staff and alleged staff had been
arrested.

Mr Igini said various method will be adopted to ensure the
elections are free and fair.

“You are not expected to use any electronic device from the
point where you collect your ballot paper to the cubicle,” he
said.

He said the aim of banning the use of photographic devices is to
discourage vote buying.

“We have to deal with vote buying which has become a major
challenge in recent times,” the INEC chief said

He said no new polling unit was created and that voting points
will be available for easy accreditation and voting.

Also, he said ballot papers have not been delivered because it
is at the last stage of processing that this would be done.

“We had to do a review about the election timetable, we
cautiously followed it. ”

He lamented the attitude of the political class in allegedly not
wanting free and fair elections.

“A voter will only vote where he is registered,” he said.

Mr Igini said every patriotic Nigerian is expected to vote in
the general election, describing it is an important election in the
history of Nigeria.