INEC Tasks Religious Leaders On Polls

The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) in Delta has called on religious leaders in Delta to assist in mobilising the people to participate in the general elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Elder Aniedi Abasi-Ikiowok, made the appeal last Friday in Asaba when he met with religious leaders in the state.
According to him, religion provides a platform for mobilisation.
Abasi-Ikiowok said that the religious leaders had a role to play in educating and encouraging their followers to participate in the electoral process as part of their civic responsibility to the nation.
“We know that as religious leaders, you have a crowd of followers, so if we can get your followership across the nation for this election, then we have achieved a lot in mobilising participation,” he said.
The REC said that the 2015 general elections would be successful and enjoined the religious leaders to help the commission in educating the people on the need to collect their PVCs.
“I want to assure Nigerians that this election is going to be totally different from previous elections conducted in this country.
“It is going to be an election that we expect every Nigerian to be satisfied when the result comes out. We are committed to making a difference.”
Abasi-Ikiowok said that the commission had created Registration Area Centres (RACs) across the state to address the issue of late arrival of materials, which had been the bane of previous elections.
He said both sensitive and non-sensitive materials and personnel would be deployed to the various centres a day before the election, for onward movement to the various polling units for easy coordination.
“We have set up the RACs to make it easier for materials and personnel to reach the polling units.
“These RACs will be manned by between 70 to 100 personnel.
“Any polling unit that is denied materials on Election Day will be cancelled and voided as no elections there, because it is believed that somebody or some persons are playing mischief there.”
Responding on behalf of the clergy, Venerable Nsaka Josiah, a representative of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), assured the commission of the commitment of the religious leaders in the state to ensuring the success of the elections.
He urged the people to seek the face of God in prayers to achieve a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.
“It is our prayer that the 2015 general elections in Nigeria will not only be peaceful, but successful so that the efforts of INEC and all stakeholders in the electoral process will not be in vain.
“Let every one of us pray to God and do our own obligations to make the coming election a huge success.”
Our correspondent reports that the meeting was attended by church leaders from various Christian denominations, as well as Imams from Muslim groups in the state.

Cross section of journalists during a press conference over the recent court bombings in the state, organised by the State Ministry of Information and Communications in Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Chris Munyenaga