The recent issuance of PVCs by INEC in some states was flawed, which attracted wide criticisms and protests. The exercise adjudged by election monitoring groups and individuals as unsuccessful has raised doubts over the credibility of INEC in conducting a credible general elections in less than three months from now. Senior Correspondent, JUDE KENNETH, captures their anxiety.
Election monitoring civil society groups have raised doubts over the ability of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible elections next year. Their fears was as a result of hitches that greeted the recent registration of eligible voters and distribution of permanent voters card (PVC) in seven states of the federation namely, Kano, Edo, Plateau, Ogun, Imo, Lagos and Adamawa.
According to INEC, the registration exercise is for eligible individuals presently not on the biometric register. It further advised the electorate to verify their names first before participating in the exercise, to avoid double registration.
However, the exercise has encountered serious hiccups, which has raised the question of: how prepared is INEC in 2015 general elections? TheNiche sought views of interest groups on the exercise.
Idayat Hassan of Abuja-based Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) expressed doubt over INEC’s capability, going by its abysmal performance in the current exercise, especially in Lagos and Kano States.
Her words: “The truth remains that INEC has not done well completely in the first phase, second phase and third phase.
“It is really a big problem. I feel apprehensive over the issue because the credibility of INEC is important.”
Mrs. Hassan posited that the problem of INEC is internal. She advised the commission to put its house in order by putting in place the necessary logistics to correct the anomalies.
She cited a situation in Kano where some voters’ cards were burnt, saying that such action will surely lead to disentrancement of some eligible voters.
“Disenfranchisement of people from voting will erode the credibility of INEC. If they cannot manage logistics now, how can they manage the logistics during the elections?” she asked.
Centre for Transparent and Credible Election (CTCE), also charged the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to ensure that the forthcoming 2015 general elections do not experience the kind of flaws experienced during the distribution PVCs in various states of the federation.
Reacting to the shoddy manner in which the exercise was carried out in Lagos State, the group’s national coordinator” Wale Adeyemi, described the exercise as “shoddy and untidy”. He tasked Jega to put his house in order, so as not to create the impression that he was out to disenfranchise voters in the state.
The group vowed vowed to resist any attempt by INEC to disenfranchise some Lagosians.
“We will vehemently resist any attempt by any agent to undermine the right of the Lagos electorate.
“Nigerians, especially the people of Lagos State, expect nothing less than credible elections in 2015,” the group added.
Coordinator of an Abuja-based Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Auwal Rafsanjani, said that INEC has not been able to put in place a system to ensure that it’s work is done for Nigerians to appreciate. He said that since 2011, the commission is yet to show readiness for the general elections in 2015.
The election is a process, he said, stressing that “if Nigerians are disenfranchised, the election is not going to be free and fair”.
According to him, INEC had “good four years to get things well, but it has not done so even since 1999”.
Rafsanjani said that the population has increased and yet INEC has not been able to create more polling units, update a credible voters register and ensure that eligible voters duly register their names for the general elections.
“Many people, who are not getting the right leadership, would want a change; but they cannot do it if they are disenfranchised,” he added.
Another pressure group, the All Progressives Youth League (APYL), vowed to resist any attempt by INEC to disrupt 2015 general elections.
Besides, the group accused members of the ruling party (Peoples Democratic Party) of engaging in “rough-riding approach” aimed at ensuring that they win 2015 elections or crumble the nation’s democratic process.
The group’s president, Taiwo Ayedun, therefore called on the stakeholders in the electoral process to ensure that the 2015 general election is not truncated or disrupted.
From Imo State, one Donatus Odumogu, who called TheNiche from Orlu in Imo State, “We did not see any of the INEC officials in our area. There was no registration exercise, as we did not see anybody throughout the days mapped out for the distribution of the permanent voters card.”
In Lagos State, there were protests over the manner the exercise was conducted. Out of the 20 local government areas in the state, some were mapped out for the exercise and yet the exercise was fraught with inadequacies.
But while addressing the large crowd under the umbrella of Activists for Good Governance who stormed INEC office in Yaba, Lagos, to protest the disappearance of over one million names from the voters register, the Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, Adekunle Ogunmola, explained that the removal of those names was to enable them have a second opportunity to register as voters. He assured the protesters that no eligible voter will be left out.
In Plateau State, Governor Jonah Jang expressed dismay over the conduct of the exercise in his domain, stressing that it was a disappointment and a calculated attempt to disenfranchise the good people of Plateau.
Chino Obiagwu of Legal Defence and Advocacy Programme (LEDAP), while expressing the position of his organisation on the matter, said the whole thing was a ploy designed to rig the election.
He said that one week is not enough for millions of Nigerians to get their PVCs. For him, the registration and obtaining of PVCs should be an ongoing exercise.
According to Obiagwu, during the period mapped out, there were movement of people from one place to another, students are in school and there are eligible voters who have attained the age of 18 years after the last election.
He urged INEC to set up registration centres where people can go at any time to register and obtain their cards, adding that the current exercise is a failure.
Obiagwu pointed out that if things are not put right now, the 2015 election will be rigged.
Nonetheless, reacting to the issues arising from problems that nearly marred the issuance of PVCs, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), urged INEC to work with its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), to find lasting solution to issues that affected the exercise.
IPAC’s deputy chairman, Abdulkadir Salam, said: “The challenges might be used as ground to say INEC is deliberately disenfranchising eligible voters who are key in this process and are resident in a particular area of the country from casting their votes.
“The success of election is not about the election day alone, but pre-election days, election days and post-election days issues put together, create a proper platform to see how successful an election will be.”
However, Jega had expressed hope for a credible election, pointing out that with the commission’s decision to suspend the creation of additional polling units before the 2015 election, all political parties and stakeholders should work towards conducting peaceful elections.
He said: “This was also done to have more time for the preparations and conduct of the on-coming elections.
“INEC will continue with longstanding practice, using voting points where necessary, to make process of voting easier for registered voters.”
It is expected that with the public criticisms that trailed the flawed distribution of PVCs nationwide, INEC will sit up and ensure that all the anomalies are corrected and necessary logistics put in place to ensure free and fair elections which come in less than four months from now.
Civil society groups as vanguard of democracy should be prepared to defend the people’s right to vote.