Chairman of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Council PCC) for the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Lagos State, Engr. Adedeji Doherty, has appealed to members and supporters of the party to troop out in large number and participate in the mock accreditation exercise being conducted on Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) using the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
The BIVAS machine was introduced by INEC for the accreditation of voters through biometrics capturing, uploading of polling results and other election-related functions.
In a statement e-signed on his behalf by Mr Muka Popoola, the head of DD Media Team, Engr. Doherty stated that members and supporters should make an impressive showing of the PDP in Lagos State by massively mobilising validly registered persons with Permanent Voter Card (PVC) to the designated polling units as the INEC is test-running what to expect during the real elections on February 25 and March 11.
It should be noted that the exercise shall hold in six local governments with two selected in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.
The actual accreditation shall be done in one polling unit within two wards in the selected local government areas, starting from 8:30a.m and ending at 2:30pm.
Going by INEC’s publication for the exercise, says Doherty, in Ikorodu LGA for instance, the mock accreditation exercise will hold at Polling Unit 016, Ward 1 located at the United High School, Ikorodu and Polling Unit 001, Ward 5 located at LG Primary School, Ipakodo.
Also, in Somolu LGA the mock accreditation exercise will take place at Polling Unit 040, Ward 5 located at Omo Alade Alafia Street, Mafowoku and Polling Unit 015, Ward 8 located at Ogatimirin Street, Igbobi-Fadeyi.
In Eti-Osa LGA, the mock accreditation exercise will take place at Polling Unit 001, Ward 1 located at Open Space at Army Camp, Tarkwa Bay, Victoria Island and Polling Unit 001, Ward 10 located at Obalende Primary School.
In Surulere LGA, the mock accreditation exercise will take place at Polling Unit 035, Ward 2 located at Enitan Primary School, Aguda and Polling Unit 019, Ward 7 located at Rabiatu Thompson Crescent Primary School, Shitta/Ogunlana.
In Agege LGA, the mock accreditation exercise will take place at Polling Unit 048, Ward 1 located at No. 8, Moshalasi St., Isale Idimangoro and Polling Unit 017, Ward 10 located at No 28, Oyewole Road, Oyewole/Papa Ashafa.
In Ikeja LGA, the mock accreditation exercise will take place at Polling Unit 010, Ward 1 located at the front of No.5, Abeokuta Str, Anifowose/Ikeja and Polling Unit 017, Ward 10 located at the Junction of Irewole/Joseph Str, Wasimi/Opebi/Allen.
Engr. Doherty said that although the INEC had declared that the mock accreditation exercise was to test the functionality of the BIVAS, it was important for PDP faithful to use it as an opportunity to demonstrate their readiness to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in a free and fair election.
The Lagos PCC Chairman enjoins members and critical stakeholders of the party such as the executives from the Ward to State level, members of the Presidential and Governorship Campaign Councils in the state, current and previous candidates of the party, members of all support groups existing in the local governments, members of all PDP non-Yoruba speaking communities, women and youth wings as well as all prospective election day agents to take the mock exercise very seriously as if they were doing the real election battle with the ruling APC, which the Lagos electorate were poised to sack from government during the 2023 elections.
He admonished the PDP faithful to be watchful of the APC and leave nothing to chance because their members who have grown over the years with all kinds of election manipulation tendencies will be out again to play their old tricks to create an otherwise fraudulent perception that their dying party is still strong and popular.
Doherty assures that the PDP has become the party of choice in Lagos State, urging members and the supporters to go all-out during the trial exercise to show that the Lagos electorate are determined to vote the PDP candidates, most importantly the presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor who will take over as the next governor of the state.
