Only 268, 942 people can vote in Ifako/Ijaiye bye-election

Only 268, 942 of the 340, 634 registered voters in Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency in Lagos can vote in Saturday’s bye election in the constituency, an official has said.

Mr Clement Oha, Administrative Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, said that only 268,942 registered voters in the constituency possessed Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).

Oha spoke to NAN on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ forum organised by the commission with political parties involved in the election.

Oha said: “Only 268, 942 eligible voters have in their possession PVCs to exercise their voting right on Saturday election.

“We are no longer distributing PVCs; only these people will be allowed to vote. We want to beg people who have no business with the exercise to steer clear.”

He noted that some voters who had PVCs might have relocated from the constituency while some might have died.

Oha said that INEC was ready for the poll, and urged voters to arrive at their polling units early.

He said that accreditation and voting would commence simultaneously at 8a.m.

The official said that INEC would conduct free, fair and transparent poll.

Oha urged politicians and their supporters to be peaceful before, during and after the poll.

He said that the constituency had 335 polling units and 687 voting points, urging party agents to cooperate with INEC for a successful poll.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six political parties to contest in the poll are: Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), African Democratic Party (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The bye-election resulted from the death of Mr Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.

Adewale died in Abuja on July 20.