Rigging Is Not Possible In The Forthcoming Elections - INEC

The Administrative Secretary, Independent National Electoral Commission, Ogun State, Dickson Atiba, has said rigging will not possible in the forthcoming elections.

 

He said this at the stakeholders’ forum organised by the state INEC for politicians and civil society groups at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta on Thursday.

 

He said different ballot papers and boxes would be used in different polling units. So, it would be difficult to rig in such a situation.

 

He said, “Rigging is not possible in the forthcoming elections, because different ballot papers and boxes will be used in different polling units.

 

“So, if someone goes to stuff a ballot box from somewhere and thinks he or she will use it in some other place, that person is deceiving himself or herself.”

 

Atiba, who urged the politicians to play by the rules of the game, said it was too late to conduct a fresh registration and transfer.

 

He explained that whoever had not registered by now, must wait till another voter registration.

 

However, the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, disagreed with Atiba, on the number of the residents that had collected their Permanent Voter Cards.

 

The governor had argued that the state had the least percentage of those who had collected their PVCs in the country till date. He put the figure at 36 per cent.

 

But the INEC boss said 60 per cent of the residents had collected their PVCs.

 

Amosun said, “In Nigeria, Ogun State has the least of the distribution of PVCs. Only about 36 per cent have been distributed in the state, the least in all of the 36 states.

 

“The REC had earlier said that people are not coming out to collect their PVCs, I want to disagree with that because the people of Ogun State have been going out daily to get their PVCs.”

 

Atiba said the percentage quoted by the governor was not correct, arguing that 60 per cent of the residents had collected their PVCs.

 

He said, “The 36 per cent the governor mentioned was not correct. As of today, 60 per cent of those who registered with the INEC in the state had collected their PVCs.”

 

Amosun, however, said he was happy to hear that the PVCs would arrive the state from Abuja in few days time, adding that if need be, he would declare a public holiday to ensure everyone who registered collected their PVCs.