The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday expressed worry over increasing rate of rejected votes as recorded in the last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
INEC in a statement by its Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, Taiwo Gbadegesin, said the figure of votes that were invalid across the country, especially in Ekiti State, was a matter of concern.
The Commission assured Nigerians that the ongoing counting and gradual release of presidential/National Assembly results would not in any way affect preparations for the April 11 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections in the state.
“Virtually all state offices, including Ekiti are done with Presidential/National Assembly polls since reports of the outcome of the last exercise had already been submitted to Abuja, and have, unknown to many Nigerians shifted attention to intense preparations for the last lap of the exercise on April 11,” Gbadegesin said.
A total of 10,118 votes were rejected during the last year’s governorship election in the state.
The INEC PRO lamented that it had expected that there would be an improvement in the 2015 general elections.
According to him, rather than improve, the situation had been aggravated in last Saturday’s poll as several thousands of votes were again cast wrongly by the electorate despite mobilization and sensitization of voters by INEC, the National Orientation Agency and other agencies of government.
Gbadegesin said there was no basis for anyone to queue under rain or scorching sun for several hours for accreditation and voting, only for such an anxious voter not to have his vote counted at the end of the day as a result of error in thumb-printing.
The INEC PRO called on all political parties and their candidates to compliment efforts of the commission by providing needed and timely voter education for the supporters in order to reduce the growing incidences of voided votes.