The Independent National Electoral Commission has explained why the electoral body left out Ekiti and Osun states from its continuous voter education billed to end on Saturday.
INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Ekiti State, Femi Akinbiyi, stated that the electoral body did so because both states already had their run.
Akinbiyi said there were CVRs in Ekiti and Osun states before the governorship elections, which held on June 18 and July 16 respectively.
He said, “Ekiti and Osun states are not involved in the extension of CVR. Ekiti and Osun states had the opportunity before the June 18 and July 16 governorship elections in the respective states. They are not included in the extension for other states.”
While speaking on the issue of ending the CVR 90 days before election, Akinbiyi said, “Some people have gone to court on that matter. The commission extended it to July 31.
“If extended further, it would affect the calculation of producing cards for people. The cards for Ekiti and Osun voters had been produced. That was the reason they were not included in that of the other states.
Akinbiyi, who dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the exclusion of Ekiti State from the CVR after the governorship election would disenfranchise potential voters, queried where such people were before the June 18 election when the opportunity was available
He said, “They have always been saying they would be disenfranchised. Where were they all along? In Ekiti State, after all the noise, how many people came out to vote? How many collected their PVCs?
The INEC spokesperson, however, urged registered voters in Ekiti who had yet to collect their cards to take delivery of the items.
