Ahead of the next general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is proposing a review of the Permanent Voters Cards as the sole means of accreditation of eligible voters.
Along with the PVCs, INEC is proposing computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website as a sufficient means of accreditation.
Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the disclosure on Monday at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners.
According to the INEC Chairman, a separate means of identification aside from the PVCs formed part of the recommendations of the Commission 524 main page report on planning and reform learning from the experience of the 2023 General Election.
Professor Yakubu noted that a phase-out of the PVCs aside from saving cost would also mitigate the disenfranchisement of voters through the purchase of their PVCs.
He said: “Among the major highlights of the Commission’s recommendations is the imperative of legal clarity in result management, with regard to manual transfer versus the electronic transmission of results. The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed. Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them.”
Professor Yakubu equally revealed that the report review “also contains recommendations on early/special voting for the millions of Nigerians who do not vote at the moment on account of the roles they play during elections such as INEC officials, security personnel, ad hoc staff, observers and journalists who are deployed outside the places where they registered to vote.
There are also recommendations in support of diaspora voting, the unbundling of the Commission with the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal and a separate agency to handle the registration and regulation of political parties.
“Similarly, the Commission will step up action on voter access and distribution to Polling Units. As a matter of urgency, the Commission also intends to develop protocols for the cleaning up of the voters’ register in collaboration with other agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC).”
“On the legal review, there are eight recommendations that require legislative action by the National Assembly. Very soon, the Commission will make a presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters as they continue to deliberate on electoral reform.