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Rev. Uma Ukpai of Victory Cathedral Fellowship Center, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on Thursday announced that the church would stop communion for members who had not collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Ukpai made the announcement during a church service in Uyo and said that it was unpatriotic for any Nigerian eligible voter not to participate in the electoral process.
He called on Nigerians to use the opportunity provided by the rescheduling of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect their PVCs to enable them chose their leaders through the polls.
He said, “The 2015 general election is too important for a Nigerian of voting age not to participate in electing their political leaders for the next four years.
‘’If you are a true member of this fellowship and you have not collected your PVC, know that you will not partake in our communion service.
‘’We must take this election serious because we must rise up and protect our future.”
The clergyman urged politicians to eschew violence during electioneering.
This is coming a day after Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, reiterated his preparedness to conduct the general elections as scheduled but maintained that only the military could guarantee the sanctity of the March 28 and April 11 dates, even as he confessed that one million PVCs are yet to be received from the printing company.
Jega, who appeared before the Senate to explain the level of INEC’s preparedness for the elections, however, stunned many of the lawmakers when he revealed that one million Permanent Voter Cards had yet to be received by the commission from the manufacturers.
The Senators had thoroughly grilled him after he made about three-hour presentation and demonstrated how the card readers work.
Responding to a question by the Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, to give a clear assurance on the dates, Jega replied, “I think it is a very difficult question to answer.
“I have said consistently that there are things under the control of electoral commission and there are things that are not under the control of electoral commission. For things that are under our control, I can give definite and categorical assurances.
“On what is not under our control, it is futile, it is fruitless and useless to give a definite guarantee on them. I think that question should be directed appropriately. The questions of security, I will leave it, I don’t think I am competent to answer it sufficiently.”
