Eha-Amufu Crises: Nobody Will Be Disenfranchised, INEC Assures Displaced Voters

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says eligible voters who might have lost their voters’ cards as a result of the recent farmers, herders clashes at Eha-Amufu community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State would not be disenfranchised.

Mr Pius Eze, the newly deployed electoral officer of the LGA, stated this in an interview with THE WHISTLER at Ikem on Sunday. He said there were some processes they would undergo to get validated.

According to him, the affected persons should approach the INEC office in the local government area for documentation.

In his words, “I want to believe that those who were affected found themselves at camps of internally displaced persons. They should approach the INEC office at the Ward Collation Centre with necessary information, such as passport photographs, drivers’ licence, international passports, and anything that can identify them; then present them before the officer in-charge.

“There is no staff member of INEC in Isi-Uzo LGA that is not aware of the crisis at Eha-Amufu – Eha-Amufu I, Eha-Amufu II, Eha-Amufu III and Eha-Amufu IV. The staff there will be in a position to address such matters by collecting the data of the affected persons, and recording them.

“The officer-in-charge will be able to identify the person and fill necessary forms. We then compile and upload the data. The commission will know what to do. Nobody will be disenfranchised.”

Some stakeholders of the community had earlier pleaded with INEC to address their matters to avoid disenfranchising them. One of them, Simon Ede, said, “Eha-Amufu is densely populated. We are politically conscious. That is why the crises ravaging our community are very pitiable, and also suspicious.

“Now that many of our eligible voters have been displaced, some died and many of us have lost our voters’ cards, we expect INEC to urgently designate centres in the form of internally displaced persons and assign polling booths there. Such centres should be able to accommodate voters from different wards. They will then address our peculiar problems.”

Felicia Odo, one of the displaced persons, said she left the Federal College of Education when the crisis broke out, and lost her PVC in the process.

She said, “I can’t guarantee the safety of my PVC. We left our base the same hour we heard that the attackers were on their way. Whatever happened afterwards, I can’t explain. Let INEC reissue us with voters’ cards. I don’t think it is too late because our data are in their system. If they do otherwise, it will be bad because we have our respective choices to make during the elections.”

For Charles Obeagu, a teacher, “If they don’t provide us with alternative voting arrangements, some of us may begin to add political colourations to our ordeal. Our son is contesting the governorship, and he will lose many votes if lost PVCs are not reissued. I know they must be doing something about that.”

THE WHISTLER reports that the number of registered voters as published by INEC is 36, 310.

Some of the areas affected by the crises are Mgbuji, Ebor, College of Education, Umujiovu, and Agu-Amede. They were attacked in December, 2022 by yet-to-identified gunmen suspected to be cattle rearers. The attacks led to loss of lives and property worth millions of naira.