2023: FCT Minister To Support INEC Conduct Successful Polls
By: Wisdom Acka
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello has promised to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the forthcoming general elections in the Territory.
Mallam Bello made the pledge while receiving a delegation from the FCT Independent National Electoral Commission on a courtesy visit at the FCTA Secretariat, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
The Minister, who was represented by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola stated that the Administration and FCT INEC have enjoyed a cordial working relationship and thanked the leader of the delegation, FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alh. Yahaya Bello for the public acknowledgement of the support the Administration has rendered to the Commission.
He also commended INEC for its level of preparations made so far for the success of the elections; adding that the FCT has also made efforts at sensitizing the public on the importance of collecting their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
“I want to believe that the FCT is among the States with a very low uncollected PVC, but we still believe that much can be done. We want a situation where hundreds of PVCs will be collected so that, nobody would say it is because I did not get my PVC, that’s why I did not vote,” he said.
According to him, “that is why we empowered the Special Assistant to the Hon. Minister to start ward to ward sensitization in the FCT to engage the people so that everybody can collect their PVCs and get ready for the election”.
Earlier, the FCT REC, who said that the delegation was at the FCTA to inform the Minister of their level of preparedness for the 2023 elections and also to thank him for the support given to the Commission so far, assured of hitch free elections in the FCT.
He particularly thanked the Minister for his approval for the use of the Old Parade Ground for the continuing voters’ registration exercise.
He said: “The Minister, not only availed us the use of the Old Parade Ground but shouldered the responsibility of maintaining law and order and security during the days that we used it to conduct continuing voters registration exercise.
‘In fact, without that gesture, so many other people would not have been in a position to have participated in the programme and collect their PVCs”
The REC therefore assured of successful elections in the FCT allaying fears of hitches: “The non-performance of the BVAs as we expected has resulted in a lot of improvement of the machinery itself, which was very amply demonstrated when we conducted other separate elections after the FCT”.