Before the general election, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom made a case for over two million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
The governor urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make adequate arrangements, such as establishing polling units in IDP camps and using its members as ad hoc staff during elections.
WITHIN NIGERIA reports that Ortom made this request yesterday in Abuja at a roundtable discussion titled “Contemporary Security Challenges and their Impact on the 2023 General Elections,” which was hosted by the Platinum Post Newspaper.
He claimed that INEC’s provision for them would ensure the credibility of the elections in such locations while also providing them with a sense of belonging.
Ortom, who his Special Adviser represented on Millennium Development Goals, Prof. Magdalene Dura advanced that “There is a need for government and INEC to ensure credibility of the electoral process.
“There is a lack of equity and justice in Nigeria. INEC needs to have comprehensive data on the IDPs so that they can create polling units for IDPs.”
The governor was also concerned about the fate of over two million internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in his state, who he claimed had been forced to flee due to insurgency.
He urged the Federal Government to assist IDPs in Benue like it is assisting IDPs in other parts of the country.
The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who presided over the event, emphasized the importance of voter safety and security, as well as the safety and security of election personnel, materials, candidates, party agents, observers, and media practitioners.
Usman Mohammed, Ganduje’s Chief of Staff, emphasized the importance of electorates avoiding acts of violence and other negative tendencies that could mar the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
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