CSOs urge INEC to extend PVCs collection

SOME civil society organisations, SCOs, including CivicHive, ConnectHub, Women Advocates and Research Development Centre, WARDC; Community Life Project, CLP; #FixPolitics and Enough is Enough Nigeria, yesterday, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to provide Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, to Lagosians who have duly registered for the election.

The CSOs, in a statement, urged INEC to extend PVC collection in Lagos to February 12, 2023, warning that “voters should not be penalised for INEC’s administrative lapses.”

The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, stopped the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) on Sunday, February 5th.

“A large number of eligible voters whose names are in the Voters’ Register turned up at INEC’s offices to collect their PVCs with their registration slips, only to be sent away empty handed by INEC officials on the grounds that their PVCs were “Not Found” or they were “Omitted”. Some of those affected made multiple unsuccessful trips on different dates to INEC’s offices."  

INEC assured some of these voters that their cases would be escalated and they would be contacted to pick up their PVCs. The reality is that registered voters showed up to collect their PVCs and INEC failed to honour its mandate. 

“We demand that INEC extend PVC cCollection in Lagos to Sunday, February 12, 2023 as voters should not be penalised for INEC’s administrative lapses. 

“The Commission is depriving Lagosians of their right to participate in the electoral process due to observed lapses.

“INEC has the information of the owners of the cards that are still in its possession and this must be made public. It is only fair that INEC takes responsibility for ensuring citizens who had made spirited efforts to collect their PVCs can collect them and vote." 

Culled from Vanguard