OVER 20, 000 IDPs VOTE IN 2019 GENERAL ELECTION IN BENUE- BENUE NGO

Over 20, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State voted in the 23rd February and 9th March 2019 general election. However, a Benue based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Community Links and Human Empowerment Initiative (CLHEI) has called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) voting framework to address gaps that contradict the Electoral Act."

The call is part of the recommendation by the NGO in its 

report on the participation of IDPs in the state in the 2019 general elections in Nigeria.

In a statement read by the Executive Director of CLHEI Dr. Helen Teghtegh, the NGO also called on INEC to "implement to the latter, the elements of the framework

for IDPs voting by creating voting points in the IDPs camps; INEC and relevant stakeholders to develop a logistic plan to ensure IDPs in far communities are transported to the voting centres to avoid manipulation by political actors; INEC to review the IDP voting framework to address gaps that contradict the Electoral Act; Government to make plans to return IDPs to their original

communities to address voter apathy and encourage active participation of IDPs in the political process."

CLHEI also called for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to be given sufficient time (about 4 months) by donors to

implement any campaign to ensure success is achieved and impact of the campaign felt by recipients.

The NGO's Executive Director, who expressed delight that "for the first time, INEC has come out with a framework for voting by IDPs," added that her organisation is "confident that IDPs being involved in the process of electing leaders are now positioned to hold them accountable on their stewardship."

According to (Benue) State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), there are 483,699 IDPs in the state with a little over 23,317 of the IDPs (within 9 camps) and more of the IDPs within the host communities having Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

And to ensure that this number vote in this year's general election, the NGO with support from National Democratic Institute (NDI) moved into the camps and communities hosting IDPs with Voter Education (VE) and Get Out The Vote (GOTV).

Dr. Teghtegh told a press conference that "in order to get relevant stakeholders to eliminate barriers to IDPs voting, CLHEI brought together stakeholders like Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC), Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), the Police, National Orientation Agency (NOA), the press and political parties to discuss issues around creating voting points for IDPs, collection of PVCs and insecurity. 

"CLHEI secured stakeholders commitments to address the issues identified and create an enabling environment for IDPs to participate in the general election. Although the period for the implementation of the campaign was barely two months, however, CLHEI succeeded in making stakeholders accountable to their commitments."

CLHEI said there was low turn out at the poll and blame it on lack of logistic plan to convey IDP voters from the nine camps in the state and back to their communities on the election day to vote as mandated by INEC.

The NGO further blamed the development on "the short timeframe to implement the IDPs VE campaign as well as on "IDPs who lost their PVCs" and "did not know how to get another one and so were disenfranchised from voting."

Meanwhile, Dr. Teghtegh has commended "the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Benue state for his unflinching support for the campaign and tireless efforts to ensure Benue IDPs participated in the 2019 general elections."

She also commended "the Inter Party Advisory

Committee (IPAC) Chairman, the royal fathers and other stakeholders for their contribution in mobilizing IDPs to vote during the elections. Finally, we appreciate the National Democratic Institute (NDI), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Kingdom Aid (UKAID) for their support in facilitating Benue IDPs' participation in the electoral process."