The Senator from the troubled north eastern state of Borno, Ali Ndume, has initiated a bill in the upper legislative chamber that would give the Internally Displaced Persons in the north eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, currently ravaged by Boko Haram the opportunity to vote in the 2015 general elections.

The bill, which seeks to amend the electoral act was cited as the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill 2014, passed first reading in the upper chamber today (Wednesday).

The bill seeks to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish polling units where eligible voters, who had been displaced by the insurgents, exercise their right to vote in the 2015 general elections.

Senator Ndume explained that “many of his people would be disenfranchised if no provision was made to accommodate them since they had been dislodged from their ancestral homes.

The Bill would amend Section 42 of the Principal Act by inserting new Sub-clause 42 (2) which states that, “the Commission shall establish Polling Units for Internally Displaced Persons, in their respective camps nationwide.

“In accordance with Section 42, the Commission shall establish sufficient number of Polling Units in each registration area and shall allot voters to such polling units.

“From the above, the issue of establishment of polling units at IDP camps has to be addressed before the issue of voting during elections.

“If polling units are not established as stipulated in Section 42; it will be impracticable for them to vote.

Section 49 further states that, “A person intending to vote with his voter card, shall present himself to a Presiding Officer at the polling unit in the constituency in which his name is registered with his voter card.’’

“Therefore, it is expedient that Polling Units should be created for or transferred to IDP Camps in order not to disenfranchise them during elections in Nigeria.”