INEC PVC Distribution ‘Abysmal’ – Ahmed

A youth leader in an opposition party in Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress, Ismail Ahmed, on Wednesday, described INEC’s distribution of the Permanent Voters Card  (PVC) as “abysmal”, noting that “there’s a general feeling that there is a deliberate attempt to sabotage this effort”.

“I think it was a very poor distribution exercise,” he said while giving his opinion on the PVC distribution on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television’s programme.

He stated that some other states asides Lagos had experienced poor service from the electoral umpire.

“Of about the 484 wards we have in Kano, I don’t think there’s been distribution in up to about 200 wards (which is very low),” he said.

He noted that there were all kinds of excuses by INEC officials concerning the delay in distribution, including cases of stolen and burnt voter cards.

“If a bank can give you an ATM card and cash at the same time. You can use an ATM card to withdraw within specific days after it was issued. Why can’t a government institution like INEC, with all the resources at its disposal, do it in four year?” he questioned.

He highlighted that the constitution permits every Nigerian that is up to 18 years and above to vote, noting that since INEC is aware of the legal implications of the issues, it should allow voters with either temporary or permanent voters cards to carry out their civic duty.

“If INEC knows they are going to have a problem with these Permanent Voters Card, I think the best way to go about it is to allow anybody (whether with the temporary card – because they issue the temporary cards) or the Permanent Voters Card to vote on election day

“Then we can take care of the Permanent Voters Card (issue) as and when due; But you cannot have it from 2010 to 2014 and it’s still at this abysmal level.

He was not hopeful about INECs ability to deliver within four days, insisting that the agency had not performed so well in four years.