‘Hoodlums snatched voter cards’ as elections get closer

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Austin Okojie, said the agency had lost 4,503 Permanent Voter Cards to hoodlums in five local government areas of the state.

Of the 4,503 PVCs snatched, Abak Local Government Area lost 664; Ikono, 96; Mkpat Enin, 208; Oruk Anam, 2,333; and Ukanafun lost 1,202 to hoodlums.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Austin Okojie, who addressed traditional rulers during a state summit on peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections in Uyo on Tuesday, revealed that 1,468,780 permanent voter cards were sent to the state.

“We had a security issue where a total of 4,503 of the permanent voter cards were snatched during the exercise in five local government areas of Akwa Ibom State,” he said.

Giving the breakdown of the PVCs distribution, he stated that 1,177,910, representing 80 per cent of PVCs had been distributed, leaving a balance of 284,915 to be claimed.

Okojie urged the traditional rulers in the state to ensure free, fair, peaceful and credible elections by appealing to members of their communities to go for their cards between now and the next four weeks to enable them to exercise their voting rights.