Politicians can do anything to win elections, including the weird and the worst, as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has uncovered polling units in evil forests, shrines and the private residents of prominent politicians in the Anambra state as well as in River State.
This was revealed at the One Day knowledge Sharing Conference organized by INEC for the chairmen of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECS) on Monday in Abuja.
INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega challenged the SIEC chairmen to ensure that the knowledge gathered at the gathering will guide them towards conduction a credible elections in the various states and the FCT especially in the next general elections in 2015.
He said the decision of the commission to begin the Continuous Voters Registration exercise across the country (CTR) is aimed at ensuring that an authentic and credible list of voters was put in place to capture those who were unable to register during the 2011 general elections.
Jega, while assuring that INEC will be working in partnership with the state electoral commissions to realize the ambition of having credible elections also urged them to shun all acts that will tarnish the image of the electoral body.
On the discovery of polling centres in some unauthorized places like shrines, evil forests and the residents of politicians, the INEC chairman assured that the commission will work in league with the affected states to relocate such voting units before the conduct of any elections in such states.
“We must not lose sight of the fact that only credible local government elections must constitute the foundation of any credible democracy in the country, and I want to reassure you that the commission will fully support whatever effort that is been made to improve the quality of elections at the local government levels because without that any effort at the national level would have little or no effect”, Jega stressed.
While confirming the uncovering of the polling units in Anambra state, the acting chairman of the Anambra state Independent Electoral Commission, (ANSIEC), Hon. Okonkwo Sylvester revealed that the polling centres are located at Onitsha North, Ogbaru and Oyi Local Government Areas, this is just as his counterpart in Rivers state, Mrs. Dakoro also confirmed the uncovering of some polling units in shrines and other hidden areas in the state including the residents of prominent politicians.