Amosun raises alarm over plot to disenfranchise 800,000 Ogun voters

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, on Wednesday, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly plotting to disenfranchise 800,000 eligible voters in the state.
The governor also raised the alarm over 600,000 “strange” Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the state.
He levelled the allegation at INEC office in Magbon, Abeokuta, the state capital, after a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Chief Timothy Ibitoye.
He said out of 1.9 million registered voters in the state, no fewer than 639,000 PVCs, representing 40 per cent, have so far been distributed by INEC.
He added that of the 450,000 eligible voters who re-registered i‎n November 2014, only 150,000 voter cards were produced and distributed by the electoral body.
‎Amosun stated that some local government areas, including Ijebu-Ode, Ado-Odo/Ota, Imeko-Afon, Ipokia, Odogbolu‎ and Sagamu‎, were lacking in voter cards, pointing out that the development was an attempt to disenfranchise voters in the state.
While alluding to the fact that some unknown people were manipulating the electoral body in Abuja, Amosun also kicked against gradual distribution of PVCs.
The governor explained that the state government failed to declare work-free day for eligible voters to access their PVCs due to the commission’s failure to deliver the cards.
He said: “It is a deliberated attempt to disenfranchise us because how can you bring cards that do not belong to Ogun State? All other states have collected their own, why are they not releasing our own?
“We want to vote in Ogun State and perform our civic responsibility. INEC should put its house in order and sort us out.‎ In Ogun State, only about 40 per cent of cards have been distributed.
“I have been interfacing with INEC and I have had cause to write a letter to the chairman of INEC on December 19, 2014‎ and I enumerated all that has been happening as Ogun State is concerned in the run to this election. Let me tell you; somebody somewhere probably does not want us to vote in Ogun State.
“I am appealing to INEC; why are they bringing our cards in piecemeal? They have been bringing them in little batches. Why can’t they bring everything?
“We didn’t support the postponement because INEC has promised they will sort out themselves and we are appealing to them to quickly sort out themselves. They should send our cards.
“With what they are doing now, may be we will have at best 1 million, out of about 1.9 million which means about 800, 000 have been removed cleverly from exercising their franchise. They should do the needful and from Monday, they should give us our cards.‎”