Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has beckoned on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make adequate provisions for the over two million Internally Displaced Persons in the state ahead of 2023 elections.
He made the request at a roundtable discussion tagged, “Contemporary Security Challenges and their Effects on 2023 General Elections”, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ortom, represented by Magdalene Dura, his Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals, said INEC should create polling units at IDPs’ camps and also engage its members as ad-hoc staff during elections.
“There is need for government and INEC to ensure credibility of the electoral process,” he said.
Concerns were expressed over the fate of over two million IDPs in his state whom, he said, had been rendered homeless as a result of insurgency.
“There is lack of equity and justice in Nigeria. INEC needs to have comprehensive data on the IDPs so that they can create polling units for IDPs,” he said.
Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, who chaired the occasion, maintained the need to ensure the safety and security of voters, election personnel, materials, candidates, party agents, observers and media practitioners during the electioneering process.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Usman Mohammed, Ganduje called on the electorate to avoid acts of violence and other negative tendencies that could destroy the conduct of 2023 polls.
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