By Olasupo Abideen
SIR: Aside the challenges of unavailable PVCs, there has been series of reports of missing PVCs, poor communication on place and time of collection and alleged extortion by INEC officials in the process. The combination of all these factors is enough to challenge citizens’ confidence in the process. Although the INEC categorically stated that the last batch of cards are ready for collection from December 12, 2022 to January 22.
With close to 20 million uncollected Permanent Voters Card from 2011 and another estimated nine million new registrants between June 2021 and July 2022, the least Nigerians deserve is an effective way to ensure all eligible voters collect their cards and participate in the 2023 general elections. The commission itself in recent times has continued to lament the low PVC collection across various states which is a major cause of concern. For instance, there are about 1.7 million uncollected PVCs in Lagos State, about 500,000 uncollected cards in Abuja, over 160,000 people in Kogi State have abandoned their cards at the INEC offices in the state. This is the case across all 36 states.
No doubt, the condemnable attacks on INEC offices in some parts of the country have not helped with over 50 offices attacked in the last 3 years. However, the threshold for conducting credible elections must not drop especially in the area of citizens’ participation. While it is responsibility of registered voters to visit the INEC office in their local government of registration to collect the cards as INEC does not distribute voters’ card to people’s residences, the commission must develop effective strategy to ensure the process is seamless.
There is no doubt that INEC has in recent times harnessed the use of innovative technology to promote transparency and ensure efficacy in its process. With a comprehensive data registered voters and PVCs printed, the commission with support of CSOs can develop strategic standard of operation to make the process easier and faster. This will first enable accurate identification of eligible voters whose PVCs are lying at INEC office via their names, phone numbers, email and location right from 2011 till date. In this vein, a bulk email or Short Message Service (SMS) can be sent to potential voters who are yet to collect their PVCs with information like local government, wards or address of where they could collect their cards. Although the deployment of SMS is said to be deployed but this has to be decentralized to all locations and to every citizen who is yet to collect their PVCs right from 2011.
This will go a long way first informing citizens that their cards are indeed ready for collection and the exact location where they can collect it while alleviating the challenges of endless visits to either the wrong locations or meeting unavailable PVCs. Basically, the idea is not to “spoon-feed” the potential voter as some may claim, but to make participation easier and seamless. Citizens themselves must show the zeal and will to participate in the process by asking the right questions and make inquiries to the appropriate channels especially regarding PVC collection, INEC Local Government Offices, Registration Area Centres, Polling Unit locations and contacts of electoral officers at their location of electoral participation.
Beyond this, the election management body must continue to provide accurate and timely information mainly to counter misinformation about the entire process. This will build some level of confidence in citizens and further promote transparency as all eyes seem to be on the commission to deliver its most credible process since its establishment.