Group flays INEC for depriving 420,265 voters of PVCs in Ondo

THE Movement for the Survival of the Underprivileged (MOSUP), an NGO, on Saturday in the Okitipupa Coastal Area of the state, flayed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for disenfranchizing 420,265 eligible voters in Ondo State.

The President of the organisation, Dappa Maharajah, in a statement decried the attempt by the commission to disallow such number to exercise their voting rights; and described it as a rape on the fundamental human rights of the voters and a travesty of democracy at large.

He described the number of those that are yet to get their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs) as too outrageous and a fault of the commission, who did not make adequate provisions and feasible arrangement for a human-friendly distribution and collection of the cards.

He observed that the processes were marred with so many irregularities which suggested a backward swing from the advancement stride expected from such commission in the 21st century.

In a telephone conversation with The Guardian, MOSUP President asserted the organisation’s determination to shoot barrages of criticism against the commission till the expectations of the people are met and sanity instilled into the system.

He advised INEC to utilize the place of information between the commission and the masses, as this would go a long way to mend the severe disconnect which is the most conspicuous reason for the flop in the exercise, that recently necessitated its postponement rather than the subterfuge alluded to in the crises-ridden north eastern part of the nation.

The Ondo State INEC Resident Electoral Commission, Segun Agbaje in aforum last Friday, assured the people that concerted and frantic efforts were put in place to correct the anomalies that are being experienced across the federation.

According to Agbaje, “to ensure that more registered voters get their PVCs before the elections, the distribution has been decentralized to the Registration Area level from 8:30am to 5:30pm from Monday to Sunday till March 8, 2015.

“I therefore want to use this opportunity to enjoin all validly registered voters that are yet to collect their PVCs to go to their respective Registration Area/Wards collation centres to do so.”