….As MINILS celebrates Democracy Day
By Is’haq Babatunde
Ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has strongly warned politicians and Nigerians in general against multiple registration of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), saying that it is an offense that attracts one year imprisonment or N1m fine or both.
Speaking at a special lecture organised by the Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) to mark this year’s Democracy Day, the Kwara State Resident Electoral Commisssioner (REC), Malam Garba Attahiru explained that INEC has devised technology that will detect all possible loopholes that may occur in the next year elections.
The REC also warned politicians against buying PVC, adding that:” You can buy PVCs, but you can’t use them”, pointing out that technology has been put in place to detect multiple registrations.
According to him, “We have 19,000 multiple registrations in Kwara State so far, fifty percent of those who registered for PVCs between June and December is multiple registration. The fine for multiple registration is one year imprisonment or N1m fine or both”.
He maintained that those who engaged in multiple registration cannot get their PVCs from the Commission.
Attahiru explained that the technology that will be deployed by the INEC for the conduct of next year’s elections will ensure transparency of the entire process, which will ultimately tackle all manners of electoral frauds, assuring that the 2023 general elections will be the best elections ever conducted in Nigeria,
He stated further that the electronic transmission of elections results will make it difficult for any collation officer to tamper with the original results of elections recorded at the polling units.
The REC said the last governorship election in Edo State showed how effective technology can be in checkmating rigging of elections.
“We have even improved on the technology deployed during the last Edo State governorship election and this will ensue transparency in the electoral processes,” the REC stated.
He also disclosed that the cases of inconclusive elections will reduce to a nearest minimum in the next elections as INEC has reviewed it’s policies in that aspect.
According to him, the Commission has come up with more rational method of using total accredited Voters with numbers of Voters in a polling unit against the former method of using total registered Voters with numbers of Voters.
“To use the total registered voters in a polling unit where election is inconclusive, you are putting into consideration people who did not collect their PVC from that unit, you are also taking into consideration people who have died in that polling unit and you have also taken into consideration people who have moved away from that polling unit which is not supposed to be”
Attahiru Madami disclosed that INEC is set to recruit over 10, 000 lawyers across the country to handle Electoral Offence Commission, adding that the mandate of the commission is to punish electoral offenders with immediate effect.
He said the Electoral Offense Commission Bill was sponsored by the INEC, saying that the Senate has promised to pass the Bill by the end of this June for Mr President to assent to it.
“The best election that Nigeria will ever conduct is 2023 elections. This is because of technology. Collation officers cannot tamper with the election results any longer. We will transmit results electronically. In 2019, we relied on the integrity of the retuning officers and other electoral officers for a transparent election.”
Earlier, the director general of MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu, had . congratulated President Muhamadu Buhari and Nigerians over the 22 years uninterrupted democratic rule in the country since 29th May, 1999.
Aremu also praised Buhari for “courageously redressed the historic injustice of the criminal annulment of June June 12th of 1993. He also rightly conferred posthumous honours on Chief MKO Abiola and others.”
The DG, who noted that Nigerians in the last two decades have made the point that votes and votes count are the desirable ways for ensuring good governance commended INEC which despite the “imperfect politically environment” is improving on the electoral process to make elections increasingly credible.
He said MINILS is concerned about democracy and democratic process because the institution itself is an institutional democracy dividend.
He said that it is against this backdrop that MINILS organized this sensitization on THE IMPORTANCE OF PVCs IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS with a paper delivered by MAL. GARBA ATTAHIRU MADAMI, adding that MINILS is to partner with INEC to promote electoral literacy among organized labour, employers, government officials and citizens as a whole.
“Today we salute President Buhari Administration which through our supervising Minister, Mr Festus Kyamo SAN and Minister Dr Chris Igige for the spirited efforts to back the change of MINILS with an Act of parliament through the 9th Assembly. This is another dividend of democracy.
“I join President Buhari to express optimism that 2023 elections will be free and fair judging by the democracy now at play in all the primaries of the political parties. I also join the President to demand that elections should be issues based. I will like to suggest that all the parties should draw manifesto issues from chapter II of 1999 constitution dealing with fundamental principles and directive of states with respect to welfare and security of the citizens. Secondly the new National Development Plan (. 2021- 2025) should inform the debates in the coming elections” Comrade Aremu added.
Ends
