ADC to raise volunteer force to monitor elections
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is building up a five million-man volunteer force to police polling centres and prevent rigging in coming elections.
The ADC's Presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, made the announcement at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Lagos.
Utomi said the group, made up of young people, was being built up to monitor the voting process and ensure that the votes were properly counted.
He said: ``Their business will be to ensure that they police the votes. That is the game plan.''
``Nigerians should, therefore, not be surprised when they begin to see people pour into the streets, marching because what we want to implement in this campaign is modelled after the Ukraine experience.
``It is such that will bring people into the streets to say we have had enough of things that have been preventing our country from making progress,'' he said.
Utomi added that it was possible to stop rigging in Nigeria, citing the example of Kano in 2003 when youths policed the polling centres and ensured that votes were counted.
``They policed the centres and prevented
bribes from being given and an incumbent governor was defeated,'' he said.
Utomi called on INEC to ensure that no fewer than 90 per cent of eligible voters are registered, noting that anything less would amount to failure on its part.
He urged INEC to do more enlightenment, and said he would not prejudge the body on its impartiality until after it had carried out its assignment