INEC’S DISTRIBUTION OF PERMANENT VOTERS CARD (PVC) IN LAGOS AND OGUN STATES AS A RAPE OF DEMOCRACY
The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) as a socially responsible civil society organization with a focus on entrenching democratic tenets in Nigeria’s body polity has taken it upon itself to monitor the distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) which was scheduled to take place in Lagos, Ogun, Imo and nine other states between 7th – 9th November, 2014.
However, based on our field observation and reports monitored via the media with regards to Lagos and Ogun States, we have come to the inescapable conclusion before the conclusion of the exercise, today 9th November, 2014, that the distribution has been a big flop, embarrassing, scandalous, a rape of democracy and it is unacceptable.
We observed that the exercise did not commence as scheduled on 7th November 2014 in any polling unit in all the wards in the initial 11 out of 20 local governments in Lagos State which INEC announced at the last minute as take off points for the first phase of the distribution exercise. This scenario of non commencement of distribution of PVC by INEC also played out in Ogun state.
We also observed that when the PVC distribution exercise eventually commenced in the 11 local governments of Lagos State on 8th November, 2014, in most polling units visited and monitored, INEC personnel arrived at their desk at about 11am, which was three (3) hours behind the scheduled time of 8am – 4pm and they still closed at 4pm prompt. This delay in starting time was also extended to Ogun state from reports monitored.
Again, we noted as the exercise began, that INEC personnel were only supplied with necessary sensitive materials for the exercise without adequate provision for their convenience for ease of work and weather considerations such as tables, chairs and umbrellas or canopies. We also witnessed a situation whereby the personnel deployed by INEC for this exercise was grossly inadequate to attend efficiently to the huge turnout of electorates.
We as well observed that even in some local governments where distribution of PVC is ongoing, some wards are not participating just because INEC admitted that their PVC was not available (e.g. ward 6, Agege LG) and so we wonder what will become of this voters who can’t get their PVC for now? This has to be urgently addressed because it is an exhibition of incompetence on the part of INEC and it is unacceptable.
We equally observed that in some polling units where people registered, they found their names on the pasted notice but the INEC officer couldn’t locate such persons PVC and so for now, they can’t collect their unavailable PVC. This has to be corrected.
All these noted shortcomings of INEC in Lagos and Ogun States has become a recurring decimal in the conduct of any exercise by the electoral body and it has become a source of concern for patriotic Nigerians and groups who are desirous that Nigeria get it right so that the votes of the people can count at elections and our democracy is strengthened for the peace and progress of our society.
As a civil society body, we are quite aware of insinuations and allegations by the general public that these shortcomings of INEC is a deliberate ploy to disenfranchise the good people of Lagos and Ogun states of the right to exercise their franchise and perpetuate electoral robbery come 2015, in as much as we don’t want to allude to that, it behooves on INEC as a responsible body to dispel this misgivings by doing what is right as quickly as possible through taking appropriate steps to correct and prevent a reoccurrence of these lapses now and in the future.
We are hereby calling for an immediate extension of the exercise as well as making it a continuous one whereby the electorates can go to the INEC offices at the various local governments to get their PVC, lay their complaints about the anomalies and get them resolved so that the credibility of elections in which the people are active participants come 2015 and beyond is assured.
We also want to demand a public apology to the people of Lagos and Ogun States by INEC for this embarrassing and scandalous conduct in the distribution of the PVC which is a rape of democracy.
Thanks,
Yours Sincerely,
Nelson Ekujumi
Executive Director