The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has distributed the 55,859 permanent voter cards ahead of next month’s governorship election in Ondo State.

National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun said in a statement yesterday that the collection of the PVC will not be shifted to local government offices of the commission.

The statement reads: “For five days (17-21 October 17 to 21, 2024), the commission made the permanent voter cards (PVCs) from the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Ondo State available for collection in all the 203 wards across the state.

“The commission is pleased to announce that at the end of the five days, 55,859 cards were personally collected by new registrants and applicants for transfer and replacement of lost or damaged cards as provided by law. This figure represents 62.2% of the 89,777 cards available for collection.

“This is the highest percentage of PVCs collected in five days in Ondo State since the Commission introduced the CVR in 2015. A detailed breakdown of the collection by local government areas has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information.

“Meanwhile, the collection will resume in our 18 local government offices in Ondo State from tomorrow (today), Wednesday, October 23 to Tuesday, October 29, 2024, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily (including the weekend). Detailed information on the locations of our local government offices in Ondo State is already available on our website.

“We appeal to the remaining voters to pick up their PVCs from our local government offices. The commission reiterates its policy that no cards will be collected by proxy.”

Contrary to reports, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State did not file any suit seeking to compel the convening of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) to decide the fate of the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, PDP Governors’ Forum disclosed.

PDP Governors’ Forum which distanced itself from a legal action purportedly instituted at the Federal High Court of Nigeria holden at Gusau Judicial Division.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Director General of the forum admonished that Mohammed, who is the chairman of the forum, has nothing to do with the suit either by himself or proxy.

It therefore urged the party supporters and Nigerians in general to disregard the insinuation.

The statement reads: “the attention of the PDP Governors’ Forum, PDPGF under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State, and all the member Governors of the Forum, has been drawn to an online publication, to the effect that the Bauchi Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum filed a suit at the Federal High Court of Nigeria holden at Gusau Judicial Division seeking an ex parte order that would compel the convening of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

“This is to emphatically state that the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State does not in any way, either by proxy or himself, have anything to do with the said suit.

“For emphasis, our teeming supporters and all Nigerians are urged to ignore the false claim that the Chairman of the Forum or any of its members instigated any legal proceedings in reference to the above.

“Finally, we wish to state that the publication is dubious, malicious and intended to smear the character of Governor Bala Mohammed.”

A member of the PDP, Imam Awal, thought to be loyal to Governor Mohammed, was reported to have

dragged the party to court ahead of the scheduled October 24 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

His motion filed before a Federal High Court, Gusau, Zamfara State is seeking to nullify all actions taken by the Acting Chairman, Iliya Damagum.

The PDP member has approached a Federal High Court in Gusau under Justice Salim Ibrahim to help facilitate an ex-parte order.

The plaintiff is also asking the Court to determine whether the NEC is in contradiction of the party’s constitution by not appointing a substantive National Chairman from the North-Central zone after the removal of the Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, who is from the zone.

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has insisted on its call for the removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, over her indigeneship.

The party, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission’s failure to mention her state of origin in its rebuttal already cast doubt on the integrity of the election.

The INEC, however, said since the calls were not backed by any credible evidence of unethical or criminal acts against the REC in question, she would not be redeployed.

Making reference to its background checks, the PDP said the INEC failed to do a diligent check on Babalola to know that the Ondo REC grew up in the state with her parents residing in Akure, the state capital.

Even if not an indigene by birth, the PDP stressed that Babalola particularly qualified as an Ondo indigene, having lived in the state for over 10 years.

In the letter addressed to the INEC chairman, signed by the state Secretary of the PDP, Mr Oluseye Olujimi, the opposition party said redeployment of the REC was urgently needed to restore public confidence in the commission’s integrity to deliver a credible Ondo governorship election.

The PDP stressed that Babalola was not qualified to be an umpire in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, “because she has been residing in Ondo State for more than three decades now, even up till this moment, with her parents and siblings at House Number 3, Majekodunmi Street, Ijoka Area of Akure Town.”

The PDP has repeatedly called for the removal of Babalola over alleged fraternity with leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state, a call resonated by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State during last week’s governorship campaign in the state.

The letter read in part, “ For the umpteenth time, we are calling on you, to as a matter of urgency, replace the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Toyin Babalola, appointed and posted to Ondo State by the INEC under your authority, with a non-partisan official with no previous association with Ondo State.

“We also counsel that you view this request with the seriousness and urgency it deserves for the preservation of our nation’s very fragile democracy and the restoration of Public confidence in your Commission’s integrity.

“It has become expedient, that you act positively on the content of this letter, following a statement credited to your commission on Tuesday, 15 October, 2024, in direct reaction to the call by the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, that the Ondo REC should be replaced. Governor Seyi Makinde’s warning that the PDP will continue to protest until its request is met, should not be taken as an empty threat.

“Moreso, since it is on record that the governor’s call of Tuesday was not the first time the party had made such a request. Our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had earlier mentioned to you in a previous letter to your office, that the Ondo State Commissioner, Mrs Toyin Babalola is not morally and reasonably fit to supervise the gubernatorial election fixed for November 16.

“Quite unfortunately, however, a statement credited to you on Tuesday, said the REC would not be removed because she is not from the state, even though you refused to mention her state of origin.

“A diligent check on the background of the REC would have revealed to you that, not only did she grow up in Ondo State, but that she currently also lives in her parents’ house which is No. 3, Majekodunmi Street, Ijoka Area, Akure town, the state capital.

“Even if she were not of Ondo State origin by birth, the constitution of Nigeria makes it quite clear, that anyone who has lived in a particular place for 10 years, statutorily qualifies for recognition as an indigene. Chairman Sir, it is obvious that your office did not do a diligent check before issuing that unfortunate statement.

“That unfortunate omission on your part sadly gives the impression that INEC cares less, should the issue of the REC’s residency status and dubious integrity result in avoidable controversies and/or crises, that may fall out from any unwitting act of replicating in the upcoming Ondo State election, the controversial APC template so ignominiously used in the recent Edo State gubernatorial election, the dust from which is yet to settle.”

Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said INEC has an established policy for deploying and redeploying RECs.

Oyekanmi stressed that the decisions were not influenced by political parties or partisan individuals, unless “there’s credible evidence of unethical or criminal conduct.”

He stated that the Ondo REC would not be redeployed based on recent calls and urged the PDP to collaborate with INEC to ensure a free and fair election in the state on November 16.

The CPS stated, “The Independent National Electoral Commission deploys and redeploys Resident Electoral Commissioners based on its established policy, not on calls by political parties or partisan individuals, especially if such calls are not backed by any credible evidence of unethical or criminal act against the REC in question.

“To that extent, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo State will not be redeployed.

“We appeal to the PDP to join hands with the commission in its effort to conduct a free and fair election in the state on November 16.”