The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday in Benin confirmed the
existence of fake voter cards and fake INEC staff identity cards in
circulation.
The state governorship poll will hold on Saturday.
Incumbent
governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, alleged that the fake voter
cards, copies of which he displayed at the INEC meeting with
stakeholders, were procured by the opposition.
“I can confirm
that the ID cards and voter cards are fake. The PIN numbers on them are
different from what we have. We will make photocopies of these and give
them to security officers. Those caught with them will be prosecuted and
made to face the wrath of the law,” Jega told the stakeholders.
The
INEC boss said polling officials had been instructed to ensure that
photographs on voter cards tallied with photographs on the voter
register.
“Anyone who comes with a fake card or a card that does
not belong to him will be handed over to the police. We are insisting
that the face on the ID card corresponds to the face on the register. We
are doing our best. There will be a lot of apprehension and arrest of
those using fake cards,” he said.
Jega said that some persons had been arrested in connection with the sale of voter cards in the state.
“Photocopies
of voter cards are not allowed and if a voter doesn’t have the
original, he has no reason to be present at the polling booth.
“There’s
no excuse for the purchase of cards. We have such information and some
arrests have been made and be assured that we will prosecute them’’,
Jega said.
Oshiomhole gave copies of the alleged fake cards to the
INEC chairman, who examined them and declared them fake after
consulting with the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr.
Kassim Gaidam.
The governor said, “We have intelligence reports
that a political party with a history of rigging in this state has
procured army and police uniforms to rig elections on Saturday.
He
urged INEC and the security agencies to investigate and publicly
announce those found culpable, adding that they must be punished.
“If
these people are Action Congress of Nigeria’s members, publish their
names, if they are Peoples Democratic Party members, publish their names
because I do not see why these issues should be shrouded in secrecy.”
The
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Maj. Gen. Charles
Airhiavbere (retd.), also alleged that fake voter cards were being mass
produced by some political parties to be given to people that would be
imported to vote on Election Day.
“Cloning of voter cards is going
on so that when the original owners don’t come they will bring people
from neighbouring states to take over those cards and vote for their
candidate,” Airhiavbere said.
He equally alleged that ex-Niger
Delta militants had been hired to cause trouble on Election Day and
urged the security agencies to t
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