Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South has decried the exploitative tendencies of some unpatriotic staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abia State as the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), ended on Sunday.

Abaribe regretted that instead of helping to get eligible voters thronging out at different registration centres registered before the Sunday deadline, INEC staffs were more interested in charging money before doing their job.

”The INEC staff here in the South East who are also our own brothers and sisters exploiting everybody. I have to pay to INEC to bring the machines to register people. People are paying everyday just to get registered. We keep pushing despite the difficulties.

Abaribe also strongly condemned the attacks on INEC facilities in South East saying those behind the acts are undermining the electoral fortunes of the zone.

The former Senate Minority Leader appealed to the people of the South East not to boycott the 2023 elections, arguing that that would only pave the way for the wrong persons to occupy elective positions in the zone.

” We cannot say we will not participate in the election because if we don’t somebody else will participate, and whatever they give us we take,” he said.

Senator Abaribe, however, stressed the need for the youths in the zone to be engaged and encouraged to participate in the 2023 elections.

He appealed to the people to shun every form of inducement by contestants to avoid voting in the wrong candidates.

“We tell people to understand that what you collect today to vote for the wrong people you pay for tomorrow with lack of infrastructure,” he added. (Vanguard)