Anambra Residents Accuse INEC Staff of Selling Permanent Voters’ Card

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Saturday, August 23rd, 2014

Ignatius Okpara, Awka

Residents of Onitsha, Anambra state, south East Nigeria, have called on chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, professor Atahiru Jega, to investigate the alleged sale of permanent Voters card in the state.

They made the accusation in Onitsha in an Interview with African Examiner’s correspondent.

According to some residents of the commercial city “officials of INEC have been selling the item for 200 to 500 naira to citizens who are desperate to have the cards.

“Sale of the cards is happening in the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise in the 326 wards and registration collation centres in Anambra State by some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Onitsha”

Aside the voter’s card, INEC officials are also being accused of selling the registration intent form, which ought to be free.

Our Correspondent gathered that in some registration collation centres in the commercial city, some INEC staff allegedly hoarded the intent forms.

Public Relations Officer of INEC in Anambra state, Mr. Frank Egbo, said he is not aware of sale of the form, saying they are free of charge.

However, some victims of the fraud, who pleaded anonymity, said they had been coming to the “venue of the registration since Wednesday this week without success following the faulty machines and the fraudulent activities of some INEC staff”

A police source, who also pleaded anonymity, said “even the materials that were meant for CVR in Okpoko Police Station were allegedly diverted to an unknown place by some INEC staff.

The security officer however, lends his voice on the call for investigation of the allegation by authorities of INEC.