{"id":35794,"date":"2015-02-04T10:50:48","date_gmt":"2015-02-04T09:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=35794"},"modified":"2015-02-04T10:50:48","modified_gmt":"2015-02-04T09:50:48","slug":"inec-ready-february-14-polls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/articles-opinions\/inec-ready-february-14-polls\/","title":{"rendered":"Is INEC Ready For February 14 Polls?"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY OKEZIE OKEREKE<\/em><\/p>\n

This appears lately to be the question on the lips of millions of Nigerians especially the over 40% of registered Voters who are yet to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC). Nigerians are divided on this issue with a larger number calling for the postponement of the elections to enable the Independent National Electoral Commission conclude the distribution of the PVC, adequately train their ad hoc staff and also effectively deploy all materials and logistics to ensure a hitch free election.<\/p>\n

Before we delve further into the issues of the PVC, let us take a memory trip to MAY 29th<\/sup> 2007 when President Umaru Musa Yar\u2019adua acknowledged flaws in the process that brought him to power saying \u2018We acknowledge that our elections had some shortcomings. Thankfully, we have well-established legal avenues of redress, and I urge anyone aggrieved to pursue them. I also believe that our experiences represent an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Accordingly, I will set up a panel to examine the entire electoral process, with a view to ensuring that we raise the quality and standard of our general elections, and thereby deepen our democracy\u2019.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Unfortunately he died and the Mantle of leadership fell on his Vice President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to ensure Nigerians enjoy future credible elections. He immediately set to work appointing a University Scholar and an erudite professor as the New INEC Chairman, who is well known for his activities as ASUU president. He was given a free hand and all the necessary support to succeed, including providing military support to ensure our elections are not tainted with violence of any sort.<\/p>\n

Dr Goodluck Jonathan at this time proclaimed that Nigerian\u2019s votes must count in every election with his ONE MAN ONE VOTE<\/strong> policy and for the first time in our history we began to experience free and transparent elections. The efforts in sanitizing our election process began to bear fruit, first with Anambra state Governorship elections where APGA won, Ondo State which the Labour Party won and then Edo state where APC won. The candidates showered encomiums on Mr President for conducting transparent and violence free elections. Ekiti and Osun States\u2019 elections followed and the trend continued. We must say in all these elections, the Presidents Party PDP won in just one and the main opposition APC won in two and the results were allowed to stand unlike before when orders from Abuja could easily have altered the results.<\/p>\n

In all these, Nigerians observed a disturbing trend by the opposition All Progressive Congress APC of \u00a0crying wolf before even the elections are held and when they lose, hell is let loose but when they win they pour encomiums on the process and you begin to wonder if they truly love this Country.<\/p>\n

Mr President has exhibited a deep passion for the oneness and progress of Nigeria as has never been seen before in our recent history with his respect for the constitution and judicial outcomes even when his party loses the election.<\/p>\n

February 14th<\/sup> has been fixed for the conduct of another presidential election and to ensure credibility of the polls, the INEC introduced a Permanent Voters Card after a nationwide registration of voters over two years ago which contains biometric data. With elections barely 11 days away, large numbers of Nigerians have not collected their PVCs with the implication of being disenfranchised, putting a question mark on the credibility of the polls.<\/p>\n

Why has it taken Professor Jega so long to ensure that Nigerians have the PVC and is it true he is executing a predetermined agenda of a section of the Country?<\/p>\n

Could this be one of the alternative plans to ensure a section of the Country gets a voting advantage after the failed attempt to allocate more polling units?<\/p>\n

Is it true that INEC officials dumped the PVCs meant for the Northerners with the Imams and Village heads for distribution to their people?<\/p>\n

Is it true that the INEC is experiencing internal squabbles between Northern and Southern Directors?<\/p>\n

So what options are there for INEC?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Use the PVC side by side with the TVC and hold the elections as scheduled<\/li>\n
  2. Postpone the election and intensify efforts to achieve 80% PVC collection across board<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Our Constitution states in section 132 \u2013 (1) an election to the office of President shall be held on a date to be appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0(2) An election to the said office shall be held on a date not earlier than sixty days and not later than thirty days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of that office.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The Constitution provides a window between February 14th<\/sup> and March 29th<\/sup> for elections to be held and we enjoin Professor Jega and his team to eschew tribal sentiments and ensure even distribution of the PVC for all eligible Nigerian Voters to participate in these elections which will herald a landmark achievement for this Country.<\/p>\n

    Professor Jega must shed his toga of arrogance and face the obvious reality that the Nigerian State is bigger than him and his paymasters. OUR VOTES MUST COUNT! GOD BLESS NIGERIA.<\/p>\n

    OKEZIE OKEREKE<\/em><\/p>\n

    WIND OF HOPE FOUNDATION, ABUJA<\/p>\n

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