Thousands of Nigerian refugees in Chad, Niger IDPs to vote in 2019 polls, INEC says

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has assured that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in the neighbouring countries of Niger and Chad, who fled their homes due to insurgency in the North East would not be denied their voting rights.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu‎, disclosed that the commission has made special provisions for the IDPs to vote in the forthcoming general elections.

Prof. Yakubu, who revealed this at a stakeholders validation conference on the framework for IDPs‎ voting, put together by the International Foundation for Electoral‎ Support (IFES), on Wednesday, disclosed that specially designed forms will be deployed at the polling areas of the affected communities.

He further assured of INEC’s commitment to ensuring a hitch free poll in the next 64 days, while calling for support from all stakeholders to ensure thesuccess of the polls.

To date, the Lake Chad Basin region is grappling with a complex humanitarian emergency. Some 2.4 million people are uprooted, including over 1.9 million internally displaced (IDPs) in north-eastern Nigeria, over 471,000 IDPs in Cameroon, Chad and Niger and over 228,000 refugees, Per Second News gathered from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

However, a member of the federal House of Representatives, Hon. AdamuKamale, representing Michika/Madagali federal constituency of Adamawastate, deferred with the INEC chairman, stating that 97 percent of IDPs in the state have since returned‎ to their homes.

He said: “I can confirm to you that 97 percent of IDPs in Adamawa have since returned home. The only challenge they have is that of security.Their security needs to be guaranteed in order to enable them vote inthe elections.‎”

Kamale therefore urged the commission to commit to ensuring propersecurity in the North East so that the people will not be

Credit: Per Second News