Election monitoring group, Yiaga Africa (Watching The Votes) has called the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to release the total figure of collected Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.
The election monitor in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, stated that it is imperative for INEC to provide the details in the spirit of the level of transparency required for credible exercise.
Yiaga Africa (Watching The Vote), however, expressed concern about the level of political tension and volatity in Anambra State; identifying Anambra East, Ogbaru LGA, Orumba North, Nnewi North and Ihiala LGA as major hotbed of violence based on early warning signs.
The group warned about possible outbreak of election day; adding that the threat of violence will further encourage the culture of voter apathy in the state thereby reducing turn of voters especially in the rural communities.
Yiaga Africa welcomed innovative efforts by INEC to ensure easier assess to polling units especially with the creation of additional 1,112 polling units, and deployment of Bimodel Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
It, however, called on the electoral commission to pay very serious attention to the deployment of election materials and the actual voting process in notorious blind spots in the riverine communities that could diminish the integrity of the exercise.
While calling on political parties to play by the rules and eschew violence; Yiaga Africa urged security operatives to always respect the rights and freedom of voters.
On its own part, Yiaga Africa disclosed that it will deploy its Parrallel Vote Tabulation(PVT) methodology with the deployment of 500 stationary across the 21 local government areas, 27 mobile observers, who will be supported by 21 collation centre observers.
