INEC has said over 7m youth who applied for permanent voters card (PVC) online will not vote in the next elections. Some have described PVC as an instrument of voter disenfranchisement with specific target
As the stage is gradually set for next years’ general elections, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has said over 7 million online applicants risk being disenfranchised because they failed to complete registration process at physical centres.
Nigeria youthful population of between 18 to 35 years constitute some 70% of the nations head count and these are majorly internet enthusiasts. Also, it is not clear why an online application cannot be completed on the internet with nontransferable and Government issued personal identity.
According to data released by the commission, 10,487,972 Nigerians carried out their pre-registration online and over 7 million out of these numbers will not receive voters card.
INEC said the biometrics capturing at designated physical centers was a prerequisite to complete the voter registration process as stated on the portal. But the so-called centres were not well equipped leading to long delays and many unattended to during registration period.
INEC said out of this number, only 3,444,378 Nigerians representing 32.8 percent, completed the process at a physical center. This means 7,043,594 persons representing over 67 percent of those who began their registration process online, are not eligible to receive a voter card before the 2023 general election and will therefore not be able to vote.
It added that a total of 12,298,944 Nigerians completed their voter registration, 8,854,566 of that number were individuals who did their physical registration.
Was David Hundeyin right?
David said in June that the then ongoing PVC exercise is fraud with specific targets. David Hundeyin has raised the alarm about Permanent Voters card (PVC) and described it as an instrument of voter disenfranchisement specifically targeted at Southern Nigeria.
Hundeyin was reacting on Twitter at the ongoing PVC revolution and has cast doubts on the legitimacy of a process in the hands of the current leadership from Northern Nigeria.
“My unpopular opinion/hot take on elections in Nigeria is the the PVC is an instrument of voter disenfranchisement specifically targeted at Southern Nigeria. It shouldn’t exist. The only reason it exists is to make voting as difficult as possible for southern Nigeria.”
He noted that “the said PVC can easily be printed and handed over on the spot, but instead you have to wait for the famously efficient Nigerian govt to hand it over to you whenever it feels like. You see 92% PVC collection in Bauchi, but 65% collection in Rivers and no explanation is volunteered.”
Replying to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) @netgeria, Hundeyin said “It hasn’t solved the problem of multiple voting in the north where they simply vote without PVC anyway. We have two different sets of rules governing a single game on the same pitch, which makes the entire voting process invalid.”
According to him, in the US for example, all you need to vote is ID like a drivers licence. Kindly explain why after capturing all the needed information on your drivers licence, passport, NIN, SIM registration and BVN registration, you need to do it ALL OVER AGAIN for something called “PVC.”
Why PVC is Fraud
According to Hundeyin: “On election day, card readers always end up mysteriously malfunctioning across southern Nigeria, stealing people’s franchise from them, while there is suspiciously high card reader functionality and network fidelity in the “Kardashian states.” I’m calling it what it is.”
“It is fraud. It is open voter disenfranchisement and it is systemic vote rigging before a ballot box is ever opened. I don’t care whether it’s a Goodluck Jonathan legacy or not. It’s a dumb idea and an awful system subject to execution by fraudulent and insincere people at INEC.”
“Nigeria needs a new voter management system in 2027. There is too much readily available, cheap and universally reliable technology for 80 million+ voters to be held to ransom by a dumb piece of plastic and a machine that doesn’t work. It is unacceptable.”
However, Rinu Oduala is concerned about the unnecessary delay delays associated with PVC. Rinu Oduala @SavvyRinu Replying to @DavidHundeyin , she said “My issue is with having to wait for the PVC. The world has machines that print out cards in less than 2 minutes. What’s the unnecessary waiting?”
Replying to @DavidHundeyin @efewonyi said: “When I was in Kaduna & some northern states we had more Machines than human. They even had NIN registration centre at the same spot for those with no NIN. Up North you can do your NIN and PVC registration within 30 mins. I think it’s systematically designed to disenfranchise.”
