2015: INEC begins distribution of permanent voters cards next month

Fresh voters registration on the way

As part of its preparation to ensure a credible general election next year, the  Independent National Electoral  Commission, INEC, may commence nation-wide distribution of permanent voters cards, PVCs, next month.
This was contained in a bulletin published by the Commission yesterday.
The bulletin further disclosed that Chairman of the Commission Prof. Attahiru Jega stated this while addressing a joint interactive meeting of INEC and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Abuja last Tuesday.
The INEC boss further declared that that the exercise would take place between May and September 2014 across the nation to enable every registered voter collect his or her PVC adding that the cards would be used for the 2015 general election to check electoral fraud.
Jega further stated that the Voters Registration would also take place to give room for those who turned 18 years to register and vote.
According to Jega: “During the  voters registration exercise, those who have lost their Temporary Voter Cards (TVC) and cannot be located on the data base would also have the opportunity to have their biometrics captured and cards issued to them”
Commenting on the on going restructuring  exercise in the Commission,  the INEC boss explained that the screening of Electoral Officers (EOs) across the country would soon be concluded and the “Commission will know those that would stay as EOs and those who will be replaced.”
Commenting on the relationship between INEC and civil society organizations, CSOs, Jega expressed concern that there was a creeping tendency among CSOs accredited for election monitoring to play to the gallery and give in to the biddings of politicians.
He noted that the unhealthy position of some of the CSOs gave room to the emergence of biased reports.
According to him: “We have seen how some politicians have used some CSOs in their role as Election Observers and indeed now we are seeing how some politicians are using reports of CSOs as exhibits in order to push their cases in court”.
However, the INEC boss observed that  “Under normal circumstances, if CSOs do their job professionally, with impartiality and non partisanship, there is no problem if their reports are used in court in order to prove if elections were done right or wrong”.
Jega assured that the Commission was still investigating such organizations and will not accredit them for future elections.
Nevertheless, the INEC Chairman appreciated the role Civil Society Organizations play in engaging citizens in the electoral process, alongside providing reports and criticisms which have helped the Commission in discharging its duties.
Said he: “We have no doubt about the role of CSOs in deepening democracy in our country and to ensure free fair and credible elections”.