By Ona Ona
Traditional rulers and president generals in Anambra State have been asked to protect athe independent National electoral commission INEC, facilities in their domain from vandals.
Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in charge of Anambra state, Mrs Elizabeth Agwu gave the charge at a town Hall meeting with traditional rulers and President- generals of town unions in Anambra state.
The INEC Commissioner who spoke while addressing traditional rulers from Anambra central Senotorial district at the INEC headquarters in Awka Tuesday also urged the community leaders to brace put to the challenges of putting in place adequate security arrangements that would guarantee safty environment in their respective areas for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
She also informed the community leaders that an additional 283,431 PVCs has been delivered to the commission in the state by the national headquarters,in addition to the earlier 132,626 PVCs already being distributed to their owners at the Commission’s offices in the 21 local governments areas of the state.
She advised all those who did their registration or transfer of their voting points during the last Continuous Voters’ Registration, CVR, exercise, to avail themselves of the opportunity for collect theirs.even as she urged the community leaders to sensitise registered voters on the need to collect their votres cards.
The REC, however, warned against buying and selling of PVCs adding that anyone caught would be published according law.
She warned them that it is clear that the law does not allow collection of PVCs by proxy as according to the REC “one’s husband is not even allowed to collect his wife’s PVC for her, and, one’s wife is not allowed to collect her husband’s PVC .
“PVCs are highly valued and that is why they are buying them from their owners to disenfranchise those people they purchased their PVCs . So, don’t sell your PVCs; guard them jealousy”.
Mrs Agwu emphasised that every security issue is localised, and stated that there no criminal element in any community who is not known by the natives.
According to the REC community leaders are critical stakeholders in providing adequate security to the commissions facilities and putting in place adequate security measures during and after the elections.
In their separate speeches, the traditional ruler of Okpuno community, Awka-South local government, area Igwe S. I. Okafor and some of the presidents-general pledged to partner the commission to ensure that the 2023 general elections were conducted in a peaceful, credible free and fair atmosphere.
They promised to sensitise registered voters in their areas to go and claim their PVCs and as well set up security measures to protect INEC facilities in their areas.
