The name of the
Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly, Francis Adah, is
missing from the voter register even though he was duly registered by
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the voter
registration exercise.
The deputy governor
of the state, Efiok Cobham revealed this in Calabar while addressing
those protesting the omission of their names from the register
displayed by INEC. Mr Cobham said the shoddy job done by the electoral
commission will disenfranchised so many eligible voters in the state
and called on the commission to do something about it. “Besides the
names of prominent citizens of the state missing from the voter
register, a particular ward in Bekwarra Local Government Area that
registered only 500 voters during the registration exercise has only 18
persons on the register displayed by INEC. This is not acceptable.”
He pleaded with
the protesters not to take the law in their hands as the government is
trying to address the problem with the relevant authorities.
Mr Adah, a member
of the PDP wants to represent the people of Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku
federal constituency in the House of Representatives when the next
government comes to power on May 29.
INEC responds
In a reaction to
the allegations over the voter registration exercise by INEC, its
resident electoral commissioner in the state, Mike Igini said the
commission took time to sort out multiple registration by voters before
displaying the register hence, those involved had their names deleted
from the register.
Mr Igini revealed
that only INEC in Cross River State took the pains to investigate the
issue of multiple registration before going public with the register
adding that in so many registration units in the state, many people
registered in five or more places. “There is a particular woman in
Calabar who registered in five different places. At each registration
point, she wore different clothes, cap, head gear and gave different
names but she failed to know that her finger prints were the same and
will give her out. Of course, we caught her. She won’t vote in April.”
Mr Igini said.
But on Monday,
protesters gathered infront of Mr Igini’s office to make their case
before the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC). The protesters who
came from all the local governments of the state were carrying placards
bearing different inscriptions. In the protest letter signed by six
“concerned citizens” of the state on behalf of other protesters, they
alleged that INEC left out thousands of citizens of the state during
the recently concluded voter registration exercise, an action that will
affect the voting strength of the state and other demographic
considerations in revenue allocation.
“Thousand of our
citizens are left with psychological injuries, pains and agony as they
would not be part of the unfolding democratic process because they were
left out in the registration exercise”, the letter said.
