The Pan Yoruba Socio-Cultural Organisation, Afenifere, on Tuesday rejected creation of over 30,000 additional polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2015 General Election.
The Afenifere’s position was part of the communique issued at the end of the meeting of the organisation held in Akure, Ondo State.
The meeting, which held within the premises of the Leader of the organisation, Chief Reuben Fasoranti was attended by chieftains and members from Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos states.
Reading the communique, the Afenifere Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin said the organisation was disturbed by the action of the INEC few months to the general election.
According to Afenifere, the distribution of the newly created polling units was more disturbing and clearly showed the determination of the INEC to sustain permanent dominance of the North on election matters.
The organisation condemned the distribution of the additional polling units where the North alone was allocated 21,000, while entire South including the populous South-West was allocated only 8,000, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 1,200.
It condemned the allocation of 7,906 to the North-West alone, 5,291 units to the war ravaged North-East whereas the South East was given 1,167 units and South West with only 4,160.
The Communique reads “Afenifere hereby passes vote of no confidence on the ability of the Professor Atahiru Jega led INEC to conduct a free, fair and credible election if those polling units are sustained.
“We viewed the creation of the new units as attempts to create rigging of the election at the source.
“The creation of polling units is a subject of the number of registered voters and not based on land mass or any geographical distribution.
“We do not know any country in the world where Electoral Law is changed one year to the election. We reject the exercise in its entirety and INEC should cancel the new units”, Afenifere stated.
On the just concluded National Conference, Afenifere commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for convening the conference.
The meeting hailed the performances of Yoruba delegates at the conference advising that te recommendations of the conference should be subjected to referendum which would give birth to a new constitution.
Afenifere urged Jonathan to implement the decision reached at the conference and make it a Centenary legacy for Nigeria just as Lord Lugard was being remembered for amalgamation.
The organisation advised all leaders to go back to their states and ensure that committed members of the organisation emerge victorious in the forthcoming election.
The meeting, which was attended by leaders and members from across the various political divides was the first to be held after the National Conference.
Among those in attendance were Chief Olusegun Osoba, the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and Senator Iyiola Omisore,Senator Gbenga KaKa, Olu Falae, Ayo Adebanjo and Prof Akin Onigbinde.
Comentários