The Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for an investigation into an alleged illegal voter registration exercise reportedly taking place at the Dan Archibong Lodge inside the Government House in Calabar.
The opposition party made the allegation in a statement issued on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Prince Mike Ojisi.
According to the party, the exercise is allegedly being carried out by individuals it believes are acting on behalf of the state government. The PDP said the development could affect the credibility of future elections if it is not properly investigated.
The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to immediately look into the allegation. It also asked the authorities to identify anyone involved and prosecute those found to have broken the law.
According to the PDP, any unauthorised voter registration exercise has the potential to weaken public confidence in the electoral process. The party said elections can only remain credible when all electoral activities are conducted according to the law and under the supervision of the appropriate authorities.
The opposition party restated its support for free, fair and transparent elections and appealed to residents of Cross River State to remain peaceful, obey the law and allow security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain a response from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were unsuccessful. Telephone calls and text messages sent to the state APC Chairman, Chris Eta, were not answered as of the time the report was filed.
However, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Fred Abua, dismissed the allegation, stating that no such voter registration exercise was taking place at the Government House.