The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held voter education forum on the 30 of July, 2014. The meeting which was held in the electoral commission office in Obiaruku, was attended by representative of the youths, National Orientation Agency (NOA), the state security service, (SSS), the representatives of the Divisional Police Office (PPO), Obiaruku newspaper publishers, party representatives and journalists, the local government represented by the deputy chairman of the council.
In her address, the electoral officer, Mrs. Helen Ifeobi said that with the approach of the 2015 general election, it became necessary to have a stakeholder meeting, especially with the planned insurance of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC), which will be distributed in the state starting from 15th to 17th of August, 2014 and the continuous voter registration (CUR)
According to her, the distribution of the PVC will be for those that registered in the last general election in 2011. And to be eligible, the person is in the display list, most have a Temporary Voter’s Card (TVC), the person most be physically present to collect the card. Also those that have lost their card but their names is in the display list, and can be confirmed by someone must come with a passport to collect his/her card.
She also informed the gathering that the list will be displayed at the polling units where the prospective voters registered or designated registration centres. However those that will not succeed to collect can always go to INEC office to do so, and the hours of collection will be between 8am and 4pm.
On the continuous voters registration, which will commerce on the 29th of August and to end on 25 August, 2014 there will be on one machine per ward, no matter how large their ward. She said that her office has made request to increase in the DPC machine, for effective capturing which will highly capture those that have attain in the mandatory age of 18 years and above since the last registration. The exercise will also cover those who could not see their name on the display list.
The electoral officer, called for total cooperation for the success of the exercise, and said that the commission from seriously on the issue of double registration while encouraging those who want to transfer their vote from one area to another to come to his office.
However the meeting observed that the credible election to take place s the commission is preaching, there must be just credible registration, and therefore the machine for date capturing must be in good working condition or else may well be disenfranchised. The meeting also called for increasing in the number of machine to each ward.
