Asaba leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the South South region, yesterday warned the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC not to use the card reader to rig the party out of power in the March 28 presidential election.
Handing the warning during the South South zonal executive meeting of the party, in Asaba, chairman of the PDP in the zone, Dr Cairo Ojuogbo said the zone was against the decision of INEC to make its chairman, Prof Attaihiru Jega the sole of appointee of collation officers across States in the federation for the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections.
Ojuogbo however said the PDP in South South was not against the card reader, but it should not be used to disenfranchise eligible voters from casting their votes, stressing that anybody with the Permanent Voters Card, PVC should be allowed to vote.
Disclosing that whether the card reader would be used for the election or not, he said the issue was being handled by the party at the national level. On the appointment of collation officers, he alleged that Prof Jega had already directed one his aids who is a card carrying member of the APC to nominate those to be appointed as collation officers for the elections.
According to him, INEC has a chairman and 12 commissioners with two being appointed from each of the zones in the country, adding that the commissioners from the zones should be allowed to appoint collation officers in their areas and not only the chairman solely making the appointments.
Speaking further, Ojougbo said the South South region would give bloc votes for President Goodluck Jonathan, insisting that the party has worked very hard to earn the votes of the people.
He commended party faithful for their commitment towards the reelection of Dr Goodluck Jonathan and expressed optimism that their efforts would yield positive results.
Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Steve Oru, who also spoke during the meeting, assured that the people of the South South region would vote enmasse for the PDP. Chairman of the party in the Delta Central, Chief Tom Amioku who spoke in the same vain enjoined the party leadership not to be disturbed with the rumour making the rounds that the urhobos would not vote for the PDP.
The PDP Governorship flagbearer in Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa said he was confident of victory for PDP in all the elections, adding that the party was not scared of loosing any of the elections because it was working hard to secure the peoples votes.