The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said 14 political parties have registered for the forthcoming Edo State Bye-Elections to fill the vacant seats in the Ovia Federal Constituency and in the Edo Central Senatorial district but only nine participated in the primaries.
Recall that both seats were declared vacant when the member representing the Ovia Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Dennis Idahosa emerged the deputy governor and the senator representing the Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, equally emerged Edo State governor, respectively.
The Edo State Resident Electoral Commission of INEC, Prof. Anugbum Onuoha, disclosed this while briefing journalists of its activities ahead of the Bye-Elections in the state.
He listed the parties participating to include Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Onuoha said five others who indicated their interest to participate in the Bye-Elections didn’t conduct their primaries as INEC officials visited the addresses stated for the day for their primaries but to their greatest amazement, the offices were under lock and keys.
“Those political parties that indicated their interest in the election, Labour Party (LP) didn’t notify INEC of its intention to participate in the election. So, its primary was not known or monitored by the INEC officials.
“Fourteen political parties expressed interest. They gave us their address, we went there and we didn’t see anybody. Those ones include Accord, BOOT Party, National Rescue Movement (NRM), Young Progressive Party (YPP), they closed their office.
“So, 14 expressed their interest but the other nine closed their offices. So, Labour Party didn’t express their interest,” Onuoha said.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, while expressing his sadness over the unwillingness for intending voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), said a total of 101,617 uncollected PVCs are recorded in the seven local government areas that are participating in the election.
He added that out of the 719,504 that registered for the election, only 617887 have collected their PVCs.
He assured the residents of the affected areas of free, fair and credible Bye-Elections in the state,
He also said all modalities to ensure a smooth exercise have been put in place just as he urged the residents to go out en-mass to cast their votes for their choice candidates.