••••Say Applicants Paying Between N1000 to N5000 To Get Registered
By John Ugo, Awka
Controversy has rocked the ongoing Nationwide Continuous Voters registration exercise ahead of the 2023 general elections in Edo State as bribery allegations by applicants allege they pay between #1,000 to #5,000 bribe to get registered depending on how urgent one needs the Permanent Voters Card.
Applicants in an attempt to beat the 31st July, 2022 deadline slated by the commission are very eager to pay money just to get registered and vote in the 2023 elections.
A woman alleged that she paid #1,000 to the official of INEC who registered her.
Another applicant also said he paid #5,000 to the official that registered him at the INEC Benin office on Friday. He said he does not want his name in print for obvious reasons.
“I came here around,8.00am and saw that some people are collecting money to fast track their PVC registration and because I don’t have the time to waste here, I have to pay #5,000 to the guy who helped me” he told the reporter.”
Also,Miss Joy Ogie,21 years who came to the INEC office with her sister, Tessy, around 7.00 am on Friday got angry over her inability to register at about 4.00pm.
“What some INEC officials are doing was to collect money from some applicants who are willing to pay them. For me I have decided not to vote instead of paying for it. I am tired and cannot kill my self because I want to vote.” She said angrily.
Another woman, Madam Faith Igbinioba,60, who said she got to the centre around 9.00am said she was given number 155, in the morning, but had been waiting to be registered. “I came here around 9.00am,I have been waiting and I will wait till it gets to my turn. I am not going anywhere,”She said
When contacted,the Public Relations Officer to INEC in Edo State, Timidi Wariowei, said, the allegations of bribery and inducement is not true. ” There is nothing like bribery here. There is nothing like that sir. I can assure you that our workers are doing their best. We work both on weekends here and I have not seen anything like that.” He said.
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