The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) publish the names and contact information of politicians accused of buying and stockpiling Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in order to rig the 2023 general elections.
The group said in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, that such politicians must be named, shamed, and prosecuted without delay if INEC truly wants a free and fair election next year. According to him, the establishment of an electoral offence commission will facilitate the prompt prosecution of electoral offenders, including alleged PVC buyers.
As a result, HURIWA advocated for the swift passage of the Bill for an Act Establishing the National Electoral Offences Commission and Related Matters 2022, which is currently before the House of Representatives Committee. The group’s reaction follows INEC’s outburst about politicians purchasing PVCs in order to rig the upcoming elections. According to Naija News, INEC has accused some politicians of buying PVCs and financially inducing voters to harvest their Voter Identification Numbers.
Mohammed Haruna, the National Commissioner in charge of the FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Plateau states, raised the alarm on Monday at an event in Abuja. “We are aware that some politicians are more or less buying the PVCs,” he said. If you collect the PVC and then sell it or give it to someone else, you are assisting in illegal possession of the PVC, which is a violation of our Electoral Act.
“Some of you are aware that only recently, INEC managed to convict two people who were found guilty of illegal possession of PVCs in Kano and Sokoto. So, I urge people to connect their PVCs, keep them safely, and make sure that on election day, you go out there and cast your votes because, of course, without your PVC you cannot vote.”
However, reacting to that allegation, HURIWA said, “We condemn the actions of desperate politicians buying and storing up PVCs for rigging and electoral malpractices in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. It is important that this method of vote-buying be punished and INEC should disqualify all those buying PVCs, arrest them and prosecute them in the courts. “INEC should stop talking too much and doing so little. By now INEC ought to have a list of all the politicians buying PVCs, name, shame and prosecute them using the extant Electoral Act 2022.
INEC must realize that strategic planning is what is needed and not loud noise and unnecessary grandstanding and propaganda. “INEC must tighten its processes and technology which have been infiltrated with ghost voters and underage voters. These imperfections, if not checked using provisions of the Electoral Act, will jeopardise the elections.
“Also, the National Assembly must quickly act on the bill before it creates the commission of an electoral offence which will hasten the prosecution of rogue politicians. But first, the NASS must remove Clause 32 under Part IV of the bill which criminalises free speech. “All eyes must also be on the 205,127 PVCs yet to be collected in Ekiti State as well as the thousands of uncollected PVCs in other states of the Federation because desperate politicians must be planning how to connive with compromised INEC staff to buy over these PVCs.
“INEC should investigate allegations that undesirable elements hired for 25 million USD cash, by an unidentified power broker in All Progressives Congress and that this unpatriotic element is funding a faction of IPOB, the gang denounced by the mainstream IPOB led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu which is allegedly responsible for attacking INEC facilities to reduce the chances of the Presidential candidate of Labour Party Mr PETER OBI. All Progressives Congress.
“Lastly, Nigerians must go out to INEC offices to get their PVCs and exercise their franchise come next year. INEC must reduce the organised confusion and chaos usually orchestrated by some of their corrupt staff to determine the ability of Nigerians to collect their PVCs.”
