President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that every registered Nigerian voter gets his permanent voter card before the February polls.
He also cautioned the electoral umpire to be neutral and ensure that the 2015 general election is credible, while drawing the attention of the commission’s chairman, Attahiru Jega, to the fact that the global community was watching the Nigeria and INEC in particular with keen interest.
“If governors are yet to get their voter cards; of course, that means that so many Nigerians are yet to get and people are a bit worried,” Mr President stated.
“INEC is supposed to be absolutely neutral in their work to conduct credible elections because the whole world is watching INEC and you are coming into INEC at a very critical time with 40 days to election,” he told the incoming INEC commissioner, Prof Salau.
“So, you are coming at a critical time that I believe the chairman who is here himself also needs your services. I believe Prof Jega will even want to double the number of staff if he has the resources, to make sure that they can cope because Nigerians are getting worried whether INEC can actually conduct the elections.”
Still on the voter card, the president said he was pleased at the awareness among Nigerians to yearn to obtain their voter cards.
“Before 2011, how many Nigerians complained about not having voter cards – because elections were not conducted with voter cards. Nobody cared. We are all adults in Nigeria and we knew what was happening. But some people came on board and sanitised electoral process, but others want to take the glory.”
He urged the electorate to take their destiny into their hands by choosing their leaders at all levels.
In his response, Prof Jega assured that "every registered Nigerian will get his PVC before February 14."
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