A few days to the general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said all eligible voters who could not collect their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) can now avail themselves, stating that the cards are ready for collection nationwide.
Indeed, prominent registered voters, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar,Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and others, had at separate times complained about non-availability of their PVCs.
However, INEC yesterday allayed such fears, stressing that the challenge was a result of lost of data caused by some members of the commission.
INEC’s Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Nick Dazang, who made the disclosure yesterday at a one-day workshop held for newsmen in Kaduna, explained that, “Initial lost of data led to loss of finger prints and that was why the Sultan of Sokoto, Governor Fashola of Lagos, others could not get their PVCs.
“What I know is that those whose data were lost and those who did the Continuous Voter Register (CVR), their cards are now ready. The attitude of some INEC staff led to loss of the data.”
He said notwithstanding the challenges being faced by INEC, the commission has achieved 65 percent distribution of PVCs nationwide even as he expressed optimism that the percentage of PVC distribution will grow substantially before the election.
“All cards (PVCs) are on ground and are being distributed to the states,” he stressed.
Dazang maintained that as at 31st January, 2015, 42.7million representing 65 percent national average distribution has been achieved, but insisted that some states have achieved distribution up to between 79 and 80 percent average.
The breakdown of the states, according to Dazang, showed that Adamawa had achieved 79.5 percent; Gombe (78percent), Jigawa (79percent), Katsina (79.4percent), Osun (70.7percent) and 80.5percent in Taraba.
“There are states that have done very well, but the national average is 65 percent. This figure (65 percent) is conservative.
“At the end of the one week extension, we are expecting between 79 to 80 percent national average; even in an examination if you score this figure, nobody will say you did badly.
“The best INEC has done is the extension of one week and by statistics, within the first three days of distribution of PVCs, cards going into millions were distributed; if we have one week extension, what stops us from distributing the balance,” he retorted.
He stressed that the onus is not on INEC, but on Nigerians. “Of course, we cannot have 100 percent collection, because some people must have died. By law, INEC cannot force people to register and cannot force people to collect; by law, we don’t have the power to force people to collect PVC,” Dazang said.
He also called on those who are reportedly buying PVCs to desist, adding that they are wasting their time and disenfranchising owners of the cards.
“The report we are having is some people are collecting money before given out PVCs to their owners, we urge you to report to INEC anybody caught, for appropriate sanction,” he said.
On the use of card readers for 2015 election, the deputy director of Voter Education and Publicity, stated that though there are 120,000 polling units across the country, INEC has procured 152,000 card readers and had since been distributed nationwide.
He said the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) resident outside the three troubled states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno are not going to vote, adding that for security reasons voting centres will be located within IDP camps only within the troubled states, but not outside the states.
The workshop, facilitated by INEC in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) II project, according to Dazang, is to afford the media on information about the electoral process and ensure that INEC and the media operate on same wavelength.
Also, UNDP-DGD Project Director, Dr. Mourtada Deme, represented by Issa Modibbo, noted that the overall objective is to build institution that will make democracy easy to practice, for its sustenance and enhancing development.
He, therefore, urged the media to educate participants in the electoral process to make informed choices in the democratic process.
Source: Newswatch Daily
