2015: Defend your reputation, Amaechi tells Jega

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has charged the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to defend his reputation by ensuring the poll is free and fair.

Amaechi, who gave the charge while briefing newsmen in Government House, Port Harcourt, explained that it was only after the exercise that an election could be adjudged fair, particularly when the results have been dutifully announced and the candidates and parties they represent declare conduct of the elections to be fair.

The governor said: “INEC said they are conducting continuous registration and collection of the permanent voter’s cards in seven of the 23 local government areas in the state due to technical problems.

“We sympathise with INEC and we join them to pray that they will quickly find solutions to their problems. In my unit in Ubima (Ikwerre Local Government Area) the names of some of those who had earlier registered were not found in the voters register.

“We expect INEC to register them again. We look forward to a fresh registration anywhere such problems are noticed. We hope that from their preparations, INEC wants to conduct a proper election in 2015. I did not say fair election. “Election may be free but at the end of the day, may not fair.

If they use police and the army to chase away those who want to vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, is that election fair? “We can only say that an election is fair at the end of the election. For now, we can hope that Prof. Attahiru Jega will defend his reputation by conducting a free and fair election in 2015,” Amaechi said.

Amaechi said though the distribution of PVC will commence in seven local government areas in the state, “We have called on INEC to make sure the exercise is carried out in the remaining 16 local government areas. “For our votes to count, every Rivers man or woman should register.

Whether you are a governor, deputy governor or Speaker, you cannot vote if do not register as a voter. “To show how important the PVC registration is to us, tomorrow (today) has been declared a public holiday.

It may be seven local government areas but we insist that everybody that is affected should go and collect his or her card. So, all Rivers people who are 18 years and above should endeavour to go and register.

“What INEC is doing now is to say the elections in the past have not been properly conducted. But for now, we assume that INEC will be able to conduct a free election believing and trusting that Jega will do what is right, just and proper,” the governor said.

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