•Labour Party writes INEC for clarification, warns against disenfranchisement of millions

By TINA TIMOTHY

The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organization (LPPCO) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to enforce the use of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for the 2023 elections as this would lead to the disenfranchisement of many eligible voters who are unable to collect theirs before the elections. The LPPCO added that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), being a replacement for the card reader machine, would suffice “given that the verification and authentication of voters can be done using the BVAS that is, either by verifying the voter's thumbprint or by facial recognition.”

In a letter addressed to the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, dated Friday, December 9, 2022, titled “Concern Regarding the Seeming Redundancy of the Permanent Voter's Card (PVC),” the Director-General of Obi/Baba-Ahmed Campaign, Doyin Okupe, wondered why the PVC, which might now be redundant, would still be mandatory.

“It has occurred to us that the Permanent Voter's Card (PVC) might now be redundant or, indeed,, superfluous in light of the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) into the electoral process, being a replacement for the card reader machine.

“If a voter's name is displayed on the list pasted at the Polling Unit and found in the Register with the INEC officials conducting the elections, one wonders why the PVC would still be mandatory, given that the verification and authentication of voters can be done using the BVAS that is, either by verifying the voter’s thumbprint or by facial recognition.

“This matter is important because of the likely disenfranchisement of many intending voters due to their inability to collect their PVCs before the elections. Kindly recall the difficulties that attended the registration of voters recently; how sure are we that there would not be similar issues with the collection of PVCs? Of concern equally, is the fact that several PVCs have been destroyed in the recent attacks on INEC offices.. Although INEC has repeatedly given the assurance that such PVCs will be replaced, the fact is that such citizens should actually be able to vote without those PVCs (as every citizen indeed should), given that all the necessary biometrics for each voter will be available in the BVAS machines deployed to each Polling Unit,” he wrote.

Okupe consequently urged the INEC Chairman to give the worries expressed in his letter the urgency it deserves.

“We therefore humbly call on you as INEC Chairman to kindly use your good offices to address this matter urgently, so as to prevent the disenfranchisement of Nigerian citizens through the enforcement of a requirement that might, in reality, no longer be necessary,” he added.

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