The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Inter-Society), a right advocacy organization, on Wednesday, frowned the recent decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to shrink the distribution of permanent voters cards to only 26 working days.
AFRIPOST recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had on Saturday, had announced December 12, ,2022 to 22nd January 2023, as dates for commencement and end of collection of Permanent Voters Card.
The electoral body made the announcement on Friday via a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.
According to the statement, the Commission has also resolved to devolve PVC collection to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards across the country between Friday 6th to Sunday 15th January 2023.
However, the inter-society in a release while reacting, described the decision by the nation’s electoral umpire as dictatorial, inconsiderate and totally unacceptable, hinging its latest position after thorough analystical assessments and research.
The press release was jointly signed by the Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head, Democracy and Good Governance, Chinwe Umeche, Esq, Head, Campaign and Publicity department, forwarded to AFRIPOST on Wednesday.
According to the organization, “The grand implication of INEC’s announcement is that PVC can be distributed for a period of only 26 working days or less. The 26 working days was calculated and arrived at by Inter-Society after deducting 14days or two weeks of globally acknowledged and complaint Christmas and New year holidays governed by the principles of blue law and golden rules.
“The deducted 14 days involves seven days of Christmas holiday or 24th to 31st December 2022 and seven days of New year holiday or 1st January to 7th January 2023. The Golden Rules guiding these two are universally strong and complaint that important offices and major social activities are not only grounded but also the two seasons are occupied with social outings including meetings, religious and traditional activities, communal general meetings, naming ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, dedication of new houses etc.
Continuing,the CLO regretted, “during the two periods top officials of INEC and their foot staffers are hardly found in their offices and written correspondences meant for staff of the nation’s electoral umpire hardly received and attended to.
“Distribution of PVCs in yuletide and new year aimed at disenfranchising millions of voters.
The Inter-Society however claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission deliberately scheduled the collection of voters cards during the coming yuletide and New year to frustrate and disenfranchise millions of registered voters from picking their PVC’s.
Words: “This is more so when many southerners residing outside their ancestral abodes travel home for the two globally acknowledged popular seasons or holidays.
“A sensible, reasonable and unbiased electoral umpire would have skipped the 14days and added or brought them forward into last week of January 2023 and third week of February 2023”.
In furtherance, the Inter-Society therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to extend PVC distribution and collection from 12th to 24th December 2022, and 9th January 2023 to 24th February, 2023 using Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units.
According to the pro-democracy and advocacy organization, “this is more so when no law stops INEC from issuing PVCs to their owners or a registered voting citizen from picking his or her permanent voters cards before an election day.
