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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Cross River governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has tasked the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) on the need to conduct a free, fair and credible elections in the state.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the new REC at the Conference Room of the Governor’s Office, Calabar on Tuesday, Ayade said that given the new REC’s track records and integrity, he had no doubt he would deliver.
He said: “We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to please honour its pledge too so that we can have free, fair, credible, reliable and dependable elections.
“Government is not going to in any way influence your process, but we want to say that we are available and willing to support you at all times that INEC will so require our services.”
Pouring encomiums on the INEC boss, the governor said: “Never before have we had an INEC Chairman who has enjoyed the mutual trust from both the ruling party and the opposition parties.
“This is one chairman who has conducted his elections and results returned based on what is on the ground.
“He is not subject to any inducement, he is subject to the God that he serves and l want to say that his name would go down in history as one of the very best INEC Chairmen that we have ever had. God bless him and God will continue to sustain him.”
Earlier in his speech, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to the state, Dr Alalibo Sinikiem Johnson, harped on the need for a conducive atmosphere, saying that it is what is needed for free and fair elections to thrive.
“There is no way we can conduct a free and fair election without security. We call on you to use your good offices to ensure that we have peace in the state.
“Peace in the sense that people can move freely to vote for candidates of their choice, and also, we at the back end of INEC can do our job without intimidation”, Dr Johnson said.
The REC disclosed that about 90,00 uncollected PVCs are listed across the 18 local government areas of the state, appealing to the registrants to come forward and pick up their PVCs.
He added that with the creation of new Polling units, the INEC REC said, Cross River now has 3281 Polling units.
End
Pix Caption: (L-R) Administrative Secretary, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Davis Obo Eldred, new Resident Electoral Commissioner to Cross River, Dr. Johnson Alalibo and Governor Ben Ayade when the new REC paid a courtesy visit on the Governor at Government House, Calabar on Tuesday
