INEC and technical disenfranchisement

Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States was quoted as saying: ‘’We do not have a government by the majority, we have a government by the majority who participate’’. Hundreds of years later this saying still holds true. It is the majority of the total number of votes cast that determines who wins an election. This underscores the point that to truly have a result reflective of the will of the people no one should be disenfranchised.I make bold to say that millions of Nigerians in all parts of the country have been disenfranchised by INEC.

I will tell you why and start with my personal story. I have been a registered voter since 2011 and I lost the PVC which I used to vote in 2015. I applied for a new one during the continuous voter registration last year. The process of applying for a replacement was very tedious – took days to access the primary school which housed the INEC staff because there was always a stampede at the gate and there seemed to be no process. Having applied for a new PVC and collected a slip, the process of collecting the PVC was another nightmare. I went to the local government (EtiOsa in Lagos State) three times – all the time I was told they could not find my PVC. Why did I go back three times? I did so because each time I went I encountered people who said they were told they could not find their PVC’s but they persisted until it was found.

The third time was the most interesting of the days. I went on a Sunday morning (10th February 2019) and waited about 30 minutes at the gate before a lady came to the gate to collect some slips and then she saunters off for about 2 hours and finally another gentleman comes back with a pack of PVC’s and slips. He called my name to collect my slip and told me they could not find my PVC. So, I have been disenfranchised due to no fault of mine. I have also met very many people who were told the most ridiculous thing I have heard – ‘’come back after the elections’’. For what? To vote later? I met a gentleman who said he was told that they could not find his PVC, but they had lost his slip and then he forced his way through to go in search of his slip himself. Whilst he was in the room looking for his slip, he found his PVC.

So, is there a method for stacking the PVC’s? I don’t think so. Whilst I was there on Sunday a gentleman came out with a bag full of PVC’s and started calling out the names written on the PVC’s as he shuffled his way through. After he must have called out over 50 names and no one standing in the sun responded to claim any PVC I thought something was amiss and I walked over to him and asked which PVC’s these were, and he said these are people who submitted their collection slips the day before. I then told him that it was obvious many of them were not here. I then suggested that I can join a few volunteers to help him sort the PVC’s in some alphabetic order and write down the list of names from the PVC’s which he can paste on the wall so people can check their names as they arrive. He declined and told me he will come out again and announce the names in a few hours. I was so frustrated that I raised my voice to accuse him of gross ineptitude at the expense of citizens who would come here to stand in the sun under conditions that depict a total lack of organization or a deliberate ploy to deprive people of their PVC’s.

When I think about the whole voter registration and PVC collection organized by INEC, I dare say it has been the epitome of inefficiency and disorganization. With technology why can’t people apply for a new card or a change of voting venue online? How can INEC ask thousands of people to go to the local government head quarters if you really intend to give them their PVC’s? Made worse, citizens get there to meet an ill-equipped bunch of jokers blowing loud trumpets that sing songs celebrating total disorganization. For those who tried to collect their PVC’s and were frustrated by the system we can categorically say that INEC has technically disenfranchised them. Can we ask INEC why we must have a deadline for collection of PVC’s? Why can’t voters go to the polling unit on election day and have a separate queue for collection of PVC’s and proceed to vote immediately? I would assume that as soon as you printed a PVC for a voter their names are therefore on the register? It is so bizarre that each time INEC extends a deadline we praise them as though collecting our PVC’s is a privilege and not a right. It is also misleading for INEC to refer to all the PVC still in their possession as ‘’uncollected’’ because for many frustrated by the inefficient system their PVC’s are ‘’undelivered’’ and not uncollected.

I urge INEC to extend the collection dates for PVC’s until at least a day before the elections. Every Nigerian has a right to vote and nothing should be spared to ensure that citizens are given the opportunity to exercise that right. And for those who have their PVC’s I urge you to ignore the inefficiencies and go out there to vote. Abraham Lincoln said:‘’Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters”. Go out and vote!

Ayuli Jemide