The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that no internally displaced persons (IDPs) would be left out in the 2023 general elections.
INEC Commissioner supervising Benue and Enugu states, Barrister Festus Okoye, gave the assurance yesterday in a chat with our correspondent in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
He said plans were underway to implement the policy on IDPs voting.
“The commission already has a policy on IDPs voting; it’s just the implementation of that particular policy that we are going to pilot now. For every person who is in any IDPs camp, who has registered previously and has lost their PVC, we will give them their permanent voters’ card. And for those in IDPs camps who have never voted before, we are definitely going to register them.
“The IDPs who are in their federal and state constituencies, we will recreate their polling units in the IDPs camps and they will be in the position to vote. In the 2023 election, no Nigerian will be left behind. No IDP will be left behind. No vulnerable person will be left behind. Any person interested in voting will be in position to vote,” he said.
“If we have very serious security challenges in some places and it is impossible to get to those places and conduct elections, definitely there is nothing the commission can do,” he added.