GROUP ALLEGES PLAN TO HIJACK VOTERS' REGISTRATION EXERCISE

By Victor Ahiuma-Young
Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, CGGEJA, yesterday, raised alarm over alleged attempts by politicians to perpetrate fraud in the ongoing voters' registration exercise across the country, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should resist such attempt.

The group's Executive Director, Prince John Mayaki, who was in Lagos weekend, said: 'If reportreaching us that a political party has mobilised supporters to go and register in certain areas where they are perceived not on ground is true, then the country is heading for the rocks and democracy at the risk of collapse.'

Besides, Mayaki said he was in Lagos to sensitise his people on the need to go to their various villages to register in order to have a voice and stake in who governs them.

Importing mercenaries
According to him, 'we also have it on good record that about 22 persons who were neither residents nor indigenes of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area but imported there, have been arrested by the police in Edo State.

'While we are not only calling for the diligent prosecution of these persons and their sponsors, the Coalition feared that not only will this attempt by these desperate politicians discredit the effort by the Federal Government and INEC in the pursuit of credible elections come April 2011, it is also capable of painting Nigerian in bad light.'

'I have been to Abuja; University of Benin; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; Auchi Polytechnic, among others, to sensitise my people on the need to go home and register and the result have been tremendous,' Mayaki added.

'I think it would give our people a sense of belonging because democracy is all about popular participation,' Mayaki added.