Nsukka (Enugu State) – The Independent National Electoral Commission in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State has decried the low turnout of registered voters at the just-concluded distribution of permanent voters’ cards.

The INEC representative in Nsukka, Mrs Nwaneka Nwala, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Monday that majority of the registered voters had yet to collect their cards.

“From the number of cards returned to the office at the end of the three-day exercise, it shows that many people did not come to collect their cards.

“I do not know what caused the apathy in spite of the efforts made by INEC to sensitise the people. Our ad hoc workers were in various polling units from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. on those days.

“My fear is that such people may go and register again leading to double registration,” she said.

Nwala, however, urged the people who did not collect their cards during the period to go to the INEC office in the council headquarters to collect their cards.

“The people should know that without collecting the permanent card, they cannot vote for the candidate of their choice in the 2015 elections.

“Stakeholders in the area should put more efforts to sensitise their people on the need to collect their cards,’’ she said.

Reacting to the development, a former Caretaker Chairman of the council, Mr Cosmos Agbo, attributed the low turnout to the announcement that the area was affected in the cancellation of some polling units by INEC.

“We heard that Nsukka was among the 621 polling units affected in the machine error or cancellation by INEC. So this discouraged a lot of people from bothering to collect their cards,” he said.

Chief Ikeje Asogwa, the Managing Director of Enugu State Housing Development Authority, urged the registered voters to endeavour to collect their cards to enable them to participate in elections in the state.

Asogwa appealed to the people to also come out en masse and register in the exercise being conducted from May 28 to June 1.

He also warned them against going for another registration as it would amount to double registration and possible prosecution.

– NAN