By Chris Njoku
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on political parties to organise their members in the forthcoming rerun election in Cross River communities.
This was disclosed by Prof. Gabriel Yomere, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC) for Cross River during the 2023 Carnival Calabar street party on Thursday in Calabar.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC came out with its own decorated but non-competing float with inscriptions such as “keep and protect your voter’s card” and “prepare for the forthcoming rerun election.”
Yomere said if the political parties had organised their members, avoiding violence, ballot box snatching among other irregularities, there would have been no need for a rerun.
“We are having a rerun election in Akamkpa/Biase and Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituencies, so, I am pleading with political parties, let orderliness be the watch ward.
“They should educate their members to refrain from irregularities or cause trouble around voting areas so that voters can have the confidence to come out and carry out their civic responsibilities without fear of intimidation,” he said.
He maintained that the carnival was a good avenue for them to sensitise the people on the activities of INEC noting that electioneering was a continuous process.
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He added that those who could not collect the voter’s cards before the 2023 General Elections should wait for the pronouncement of INEC for when and where they could go and collect their cards.
Similarly, Mr Obi Effanga, INEC REC in Bayelsa who visited to partake in the carnival activities said he came to support the commission in Cross River for its Sensitisation exercise.
He asserted that Carnival Calabar is the biggest street party in Africa and a veritable platform to sensitise people on the activities of INEC in and out of election seasons.
He added that they were also preparing for the rerun election that would take place in Bayelsa state.
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