2023 General Election: Ortom Makes Case For Over Two Million IDPs

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom ahead of the general election has made a case for over two million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

The governor called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make adequate provisions such as the creation of polling units at IDP camps as well as engaging its members as ad-hoc staff during elections.

Naija News reports that Ortom made this plea in Abuja yesterday at a roundtable discussion tagged, “Contemporary Security Challenges and their Effects on 2023 General Elections”, organised by the Platinum Post Newspaper.

He said INEC’s provision for them would ensure the credibility of the elections at such centres while giving them a sense of belonging.

Ortom, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals, Prof. Magdalene Dura advanced that “There is a need for government and INEC to ensure credibility of the electoral process.

“There is a lack of equity and justice in Nigeria. INEC needs to have comprehensive data on the IDPs so that they can create polling units for IDPs.”

The governor also was worried about the fate of over two million IDPs in his state who, he said, had been rendered homeless as a result of insurgency.

He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to come to the assistance of IDPs in Benue as it is doing to other IDPs in other parts of the country.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who chaired the occasion, raised the need for the safety and security of voters, election personnel, materials, candidates, party agents, observers and media practitioners during the election.

Ganduje, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Usman Mohammed, emphasised the need for electorates to avoid acts of violence and other negative tendencies that could mar the conduct of the 2023 general elections.