PVC distribution in Lagos, Ogun; a rape of democracy – CCPM

From Akilani Abdullah, Lagos

A political pressure group, The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) has described the distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) both in Lagos and Ogun state as embarrassing and a rape of democracy.

This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Lagos at the weekend by the group publicity secretary, which the group observed that the exercise did not commence as scheduled on 7th November 2014 in any polling unit in all the wards in the initial 11 out of 20 local governments in Lagos State.

It said: “We as a socially responsible civil society organization with a focus on entrenching democratic tenets in Nigeria’s body polity has taken it upon ourselves to monitor the distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) which was scheduled to take place in Lagos, Ogun, Imo and nine other states between 7th – 9th November, 2014.

“However, based on our field observation and reports monitored via the media with regards to Lagos and Ogun States, we have come to the inescapable conclusion before the conclusion of the exercise, today 9th November, 2014, that the distribution has been a big flop, embarrassing, scandalous, a rape of democracy and it is unacceptable.

“We observed that the exercise did not commence as scheduled on 7th November 2014 in any polling unit in all the wards in the initial 11 out of 20 local governments in Lagos State which INEC announced at the last minute as take off points for the first phase of the distribution exercise. This scenario of non commencement of distribution of PVC by INEC also played out in Ogun state.

“We also observed that when the PVC distribution exercise eventually commenced in the 11 local governments of Lagos State on 8th November, 2014, in most polling units visited and monitored, INEC personnel arrived at their desk at about 11am, which was three (3) hours behind the scheduled time of 8am – 4pm and they still closed at 4pm prompt. This delay in starting time was also extended to Ogun state from reports monitored.