The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately publish a clear nationwide timetable for the production, distribution and collection of Permanent Voter Cards, warning that no Nigerian who has successfully registered should be disenfranchised by administrative delays.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said millions of Nigerians who participated in the voter registration exercise deserve certainty about when and where their PVCs will be available.
“You cannot register Nigerians to vote and then make them run from office to office searching for the card that enables them to exercise that right. Registration without access to a PVC is disenfranchisement by another route,” the ADC said.
The party called on INEC to immediately publish, state by state, the number of newly registered voters, PVCs produced, cards distributed, outstanding cards and designated collection centres.
According to the ADC, the Commission must also intensify public information campaigns and decentralise collection wherever practicable to ensure that distance, bureaucracy and poor communication do not become barriers to participation.
“With the general election approaching, Nigerians should not be left wondering whether their cards will arrive in time. This is not a logistical footnote. It goes to the heart of the credibility of the election itself.”
The ADC said it would mobilise its structures nationwide to monitor PVC distribution and document complaints from registered voters unable to obtain their cards.
“We do not want an election-eve scramble, excuses or emergency promises. INEC has the opportunity to resolve this matter now, transparently and comprehensively.
“Every PVC that remains unnecessarily unavailable represents a citizen whose constitutional voice is at risk of being silenced. That must not be allowed to happen.”
