2019: IDPs in Niger, Chad to vote, says INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday said it had made special provisions for Internally Displaced Persons outside Nigeria to vote in the forthcoming general elections scheduled for 2019.
The commission also stated that specially designed forms would be deployed at the polling units of the affected communities.
The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated these in Abuja during the stakeholders validation conference on the framework for IDPs voting jointly organised with the International Foundation for Electoral Support.
He assured that, “IDPs in the neighbouring countries of Niger and Chad who left their abode due to insurgency in the North East would not be denied their voting rights.”
But a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adamu Kamale, who representing Michika/Madagali federal constituency of Adamawa state differed with the INEC chairman.
Kamale stated that 97 percent of IDPs in the state have since returned to their homes stressing the need to guarantee their security to enable them to vote.
“I can confirm to you that 97 percent of IDPs in Adamawa have since returned home. But the only challenge they have is that of security. Their security needs to be guaranteed in order to enable them vote in the elections”, he said.
Kamale, therefore, urged INEC to commit to ensuring proper security in the North East so that the people will not be disenfranchised.
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