-
Demands Immediate Publication of Voters’ Card Production, Distribution Timetable
- Safiu Kehinde
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against delaying the distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards of newly registered voters.
ADC demanded immediate publication of a clear nationwide timetable for the production, distribution and collection of PVCs, warning that no Nigerian who has successfully registered should be disenfranchised by administrative delays.
This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
The ADC, in the statement, maintained that millions of Nigerians who participated in the voter registration exercise deserve certainty about when and where their PVCs will be available ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“You cannot register Nigerians to vote and then make them run from office to office searching for the card that enables them to exercise that right. Registration without access to a PVC is disenfranchisement by another route,” the party’s spokesperson said.
Abdullahi called on INEC to immediately publish, state by state, the number of newly registered voters, PVCs produced, cards distributed, outstanding cards and designated collection centres.
He also held that the Commission must intensify public information campaigns and decentralise collection wherever practicable to ensure that distance, bureaucracy and poor communication do not become barriers to participation.
“With the general election approaching, Nigerians should not be left wondering whether their cards will arrive in time. This is not a logistical footnote. It goes to the heart of the credibility of the election itself.” The ADC spokesperson wrote.
He disclosed the party’s plan to mobilise its structures nationwide to monitor PVC distribution and document complaints from registered voters unable to obtain their cards.
“We do not want an election-eve scramble, excuses or emergency promises. INEC has the opportunity to resolve this matter now, transparently and comprehensively.
“Every PVC that remains unnecessarily unavailable represents a citizen whose constitutional voice is at risk of being silenced. That must not be allowed to happen.” Abdullahi added.