PVCs no suppose be di only requirement for voting — INEC

Ahead of di future elections for di country, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu of di Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, don com recommend say di use of computer-generated voting slips by those wey no get di Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

As him dey speak for Abuja during di quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs, INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu talk say PVCs no suppose be di only requirement for voting, especially with di introduction of di Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.

Yakubu talk say di commission don release its 524-page main report on di 2023 general elections, and dem don consult widely with its officials and externally with all major stakeholders.

Yakubu com talk say from di internal and external engagements, di commission don identify 142 recommendations wey dey deal with di general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management, electoral operations and logistics management.

Odas na election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and di electoral legal framework.

Him talk say, out of di 142 recommendations, 86 require administrative action by di commission.

“Dis one dey followed up by 48 recommendations wey require action by variety of stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, statutory bodies, political parties, transport unions, civil society organizations and di media.

“For di legal review, eight recommendations dey wey require legislative actions by di National Assembly.”

“Very soon, di commission go make presentation to di Joint Committee of di Senate and House of Representatives for Electoral Matters as dem dey continue to take deliberate for electoral reform.”

“Among di major highlights of di commission’s recommendations na di imperative of legal clarity for di result management, with regard to manual transfer versus di electronic transmission of results.”

“Di commission also believe say with di introduction of di BVAS, di use of PVC as di only means of identification for voter accreditation on election day suppose dey reviewed.

“Those wey already get di PVCs fit still use dem to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips wey dem issue to di voter or even download from di commission’s website go suffice for voter accreditation.”

“Dis one no go only save cost, e go also cancel di issues around di collection of PVCs and di diabolical practice of buying up di cards from voters to disenfranchise dem.”

Early voting for journalists, other essential workers

Di review report also dey contain recommendations for early special voting for di millions of Naija, wey no dey vote for di moment because of di roles dem dey play during elections like INEC officials, security personnel, ad-hoc staff, observers and journalists wey dem deploy outside di places where dem register to vote.

“Recommendations dey also for di support of diaspora voting, di unbundling of di commission with di establishment of electoral offences tribunal and separate agency to take handle di registration and regulation of political parties.”

“Similarly, di commission go step up action for voter access and distribution to Polling Units,” e add.

Di INEC Chairman also disclose say as mata of urgency, di commission intend to develop protocols for di cleaning up of di voters’ register in collaboration with other agencies like di National Identity Management Commission, NIMC and di National Population Commission, NPC.“

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