The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it is considering the option of carving out constituencies for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
This is one some of the possible options looked into by the task force setup by INEC to ensure that IDPs scattered across the country vote in the February general elections.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, who disclosed this on a television programme, said that the IDP committee has submitted it’s report, which he said, is undergoing process by the commission.
IDPs camps have been created in sections of the country close to the three states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa which have been under attack of insurgents.
He also added that the possible option was that the safe havens could be carved out as constituencies for Internally Displaced Persons to vote and that such option was constitutional.
“Various options are being considered. One option is to designate a safe haven as a constituency, because the law prescribes constituency and residency voting.
“You can designate a safe area as a safe haven and invite everybody to come to that constituency from wherever they dwell within or outside the country to come over and cast their votes.
“If you have possibility of IDP camps being homogenous in terms of where people migrated from, you can move the polling units and get them to vote. So there are many options that the security can work with but essentially it will still need security cover to do these things.”
He further stated that the register of eligible voters was ready for publication next week Tuesday in compliance with the provision of the electoral Act.
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