The current controversy over the distribution of Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has for the umpteenth time, thrown up fears about the commission’s capability at rewriting Nigeria’s history of flawed elections.
Indeed, the apprehension is so terrible that the little sympathy the commission had garnered among Nigerians, is beginning to wane.
Though it does not come surprising to anyone, considering the country’s history of having electoral umpires that most times come short of its statutory expectations.
A quick flashback to the era of defunct Federal Electoral Commission,FEDECO, National Electoral Commission,NEC, and National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, NECON, provides a reminder of how electoral commissions had aided the creation of a ill-chequered electoral process in Nigeria.
Notwithstanding, the pledges in 2011 of an improved register were such that the electorates had no option than to accept them with a pinch of salt.
History of flawed elections
The commission had planned to replace the temporary cards with the new permanent cards.
In that direction, 73 million prospective voters were targeted.
Since the project promises to redress most electoral bottlenecks that had worked against having a credible exercise, the INEC Technical Committee consequently approved the printing of 40 million cards for the first phase.
The commission explained it would cost about N2.6 billion. It was supposed to be ready before December 2012. But the plan was not realised due to administrative bottlenecks-an occurrence many have described as familiar justification for failure.
In a manner that did not prove pundits wrong, attempts at commencing the first phase of the exercise were unimpressive leading to more fears across the land.
Accordingly, the exercise took place in the states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Enugu, Abia, Benue, Kogi, Zamfara, Kebbi, Taraba and Gombe.
The second phase began in 11 states on Friday, August 15 and ended on Sunday, August 17. The states are Bauchi, Yobe, Jigawa, Sokoto, FCT, Kwara, Ebonyi and Anambra, Ondo, Oyo, Delta and Cross River.
INEC may not complete distribution of PVC
The outcome of the second exercise was not different from the one that preceded it, leading to criticisms over the manner the commission is handling the exercise.
Sadly, the known pattern the challenges had assumed, has created the impression that the exercise is likely to compound the nation’s electoral woes.
Consider this: Many people could not find their names in the voters’ register. Some had to travel long distances to their polling units and yet could not get the card. Some who found their names in the register had the problem of their PVC not being available.
Against the backdrop of this trend, many are in doubt that using the PVC for the 2015 elections might disenfranchise would-be-voters.
Hence, there are fears that INEC may not complete the distribution of the cards before the elections, despite the current extension of the exercise.
The anxiety over the matter cuts across party lines, confirming arguments that INEC has so far, performed an unimpressive job.
There is confidence deficit in INEC -Bugaje
Commenting on the issue, a former Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Dr. Usman Bugaje, said: “I am just worried. They have not come to my state. They postponed it. What is playing out has shown that INEC has not been too independent as it should be. What is happening shows that the commission has confidence deficit. They have to work hard and improve because people don’t trust them. It is important that they improve.”
INEC must do the needful -Ikokwu
Also speaking a former Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, Chairman in Anambra State, Chief Guy Ikokwu, urged the INEC to do needful and ensure that any Nigerian that is 18 years and above is not disenfranchised.
It should be made a daily exercise -Esele
On his part, Esele said: “I think no system is perfect. INEC is trying to make things better. What they are doing will make us know the actual number of voters at the end of the day. I believe INEC is also doing what they are doing to minimise rigging. If that is achieved, it will be good for our democracy that is developing.
There is no perfect system, that is why they keep on improving. Where I have grouse with the process, is the number of days approved for it. That has not resulted into good results. For instance, the Lagos State government had to declare a public holiday to enable Lagosians participate. That leads to loss of manpower. I will suggest they make it a daily thing so that Nigerians can do it at their convenient time without challenges.”
INEC should do more publicity – Adebanjo
To Adebanjo, who has collected his PVC, “I think the problem with INEC is that they don’t seems to do enough publicity. Several people were not aware of the development and I learnt there were several complaints all over Lagos.
Electoral commission
I think the INEC needs to educate Nigerians more on this process.”
Similarly, Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos East), the challenges showed that the electoral commission was never ready for the exercise, saying: “I want to use this medium to appeal to INEC to wake up to their constitutional responsibilities for the betterment of all citizens by making sure that nobody is disenfranchised for lack of PVCs in 2015 general elections.”
With this deluge of condemnations, appearing like a vote of no confidence on INEC, the commission in its usual defensive manner dismissed fears that its handling of the third phase of PVC distribution is shoddy.
It denied conspiring with any group and assured the public of its commitment towards ensuring that registered voter get the prized card.
Mr. Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who spoke in defence of the commission, said contrary to allegations in some quarters, no duly registered person has been delisted from the register of voters, neither will any be denied their PVC.
He said, “In particular, it is completely false that INEC has removed the records of 1.4 million persons from the Register of Voters compiled in 2011 in Lagos State. It is true that at the end of the 2011 general registration exercise, the commission announced a figure of 6.2 million registrants in the state. But when that data was subjected to the Automated Fingerprints Identification System software, 82,892 multiple registrations were eliminated.
“Also, there was the technical challenge of loss of data and incomplete data affecting about one million records – mostly in 1,792 polling units that were identified and made public before the present exercise. That was why and how the Post-Business Rule figure for Lagos State on the basis of which PVCs were printed came down to about 4.6 million registrants.”
In spite of Idowu’s assurance it is doubtful if the current hitches would not hamper the conduct of the 2015 elections.(Vanguard)
