INEC worried over violence during parties’ primaries

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu State says it is worried over the spate of violence that characterised the recently concluded party primary elections in the state.
Mr Emeka Ononamadu, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state, who disclosed this on Friday in Enugu, said that the magnitude of violence that greeted the elections were unknown in the history of the state.
Ononamadu’s observation was contained in an address delivered at a meeting with members of the Civil Society Organisations and Inter-Party Advisory Council.
The meeting focused on the state of preparedness of INEC, Parties’ primaries and the display of Permanent Voters Register (PVR), by the Commission, ahead of next year’s general elections.
Ononamadu described the violence as worrisome, but expressed the hope that such ugly incidents would not be repeated as the general elections.
On INEC’s preparedness, Ononamadu said that 1,978,547 would vote in next year’s elections, adding that 549,326 voters were fresh entrants.
He said that 5,427 voters were transferred from other voting points to Enugu, adding that the commission had 4,190 Smart Cards Readers (SCRs), with 534 extra SCRs as backups.
The official said that 175,678 PVCS had yet to be collected, and described that situation as worrisome.
He urged owners of the uncollected PVCs to pick them up so as to exercise their rights to vote.