Ahead of 2019 general elections, Nigerians are worried over the seeming lack of preparation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in its conduct of the ongoing Continuous Voters’ Registration, (CVR). Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU, examines the implication of the commission’s tardiness on the credibility of the forthcoming electoral process.
When the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) last April unveiled its plan to conduct what it called, Continuous Voters’ Registration, (CVR), it was an announcement that was heralded with applause, across the parties divide. Chieftains of political parties were convinced the exercise would avail Nigerians who have attained the statutory 18 years, the opportunity to be captured by the commission in its register ahead of 2019 general elections.
The commission in its statement while revealing the modalities for the exercise said it would commence in each of the 774 local government areas across the country and ‘’ it shall take place on weekdays (Monday-Friday) from 900am to 3.00pm, excluding public holidays.’’
Its national commissioner, Amina Bala Zakari, who signed the statement further disclosed that the exercise ‘’is intended to enable citizens who have turned 18 years of age since the last registration as well as those who didn’t register during the last exercise to register as voters.’’
“It will also allow those seeking transfer of their registration from one state to another or within a state from polling unit to another to do so.’’
According to Zakari, it would also enable the commission to distribute uncollected Permanent Voters Cards, (PVCs) to those who could not collect them before or since the last general elections and also enable citizens who have the temporary voters cards but whose names are on the register to collect their PVCs.
But the CVR is already being trailed by strident criticisms as Nigerians are uncomfortable with the restriction of the exercise to only local government areas. In the opinion of stakeholders, restriction of the exercise to only the 774 councils has shut out many Nigerians at the ward level the opportunity to be captured, and ultimately, make nonsense of the entire exercise.
Besides the lack of decentralisation, the CVR is equally bedeviled with malfunctioning of the Direct Data Capture Machines (DDCM), while it was not available in some local government areas.
Worried by the lackluster performance of the commission, the Senate expressed concern over the exercise, which it noted could cast a slur on the successful conduct of the 2019 elections.
Apparently unimpressed by the commission performance, the federal lawmakers squealed against the present arrangement of registration at local government areas, as against the ward levels. The Red Chamber in its resolutions which were sequel to a motion,
“The Continued Voters Registration Exercise, Matters Arising”, sponsored by Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senate mandated its committee on INEC to monitor the exercise and report progress and challenges periodically to the upper legislative chamber. Senator Akpabio, while leading debate on the motion, noted that INEC commenced a nationwide Continued Voters’ Registration exercise on April 12 in all its offices in the 774 local government areas throughout the federation instead of ward level.
He declared “the exercise is meant for Nigerians who attained 18 years between the last exercises to this day, those who were not previously registered but whose names cannot be found in the register of voters and those whose cards are lost or damaged.”
The former governor of Akwa-Ibom State , however, observed that “the exercise has been faced with several challenges across the country which include malfunctioning of the direct data capture machines, DDCM; non-availability of the machines in some local government areas; slowness of the DDCM; inadequate manpower and inaccessibility of registration centres from prospective registrants, especially those residing in the rural areas”.
He further submitted that the challenges facing the exercise were worse in states like Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Osun where only 30 voters were registered per day in each local government with over 20 wards. Senator Akpabio, further expressed concern that the poor manner the exercise is being handled could undermine the credibility of the Osun State governorship election fixed for June 2018.
He said “The inability of the Federal Government to effectively address the challenges of the registration exercise can lead to disenfranchisement of voters which could result in serious voters’ apathy which may render the 2019 general election unacceptable, not credible and undemocratic.”
In his contribution, Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan dismissed the exercise as a ‘sham’, accusing INEC of lack of preparation for the ongoing Voters Registration. According to him, there were not more than three direct data capture machines in all the INEC offices at local government headquarters across the country, which often packed up after about two hours of being used for the exercise.
Senator Adeola stressed the need to decentralise the exercise with more machines in all designated polling units nationwide instead of INEC offices.
In his contribution, former Abia State governor, Senator Theodore Orji demanded for urgent solution to the challenges, reminding his colleagues that the essential ingredient of election is voters’ card and warned that future elections might be jeopardized with poor handling of the ongoing exercise.
INEC blames poor funding
Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that INEC may have foreclosed the option of registration at ward levels, being canvassed by stakeholders in the electoral process.
The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu said it would be a tall dream to expect the commission conduct the ongoing CVR at wards across the country. Apparently reacting to the position of Senate and other well meaning Nigerians, Professor Yakubu, who spoke last week In Kaduna during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC), premised his position on poor funding of the commission. He declared that his commission decided to deploy the CVR exercise at the local government level because it is the only affordable option that can be accommodated within its current budgetary allocation.
He disclosed that while N1.2 billion would have been required everyday to pay allowances of ad-hoc staff, the total budgetary provision for CVR in 2017 budget which includes rerun and tenure elections, bye-elections and general elections is N1.2 billion this year.
He said: “The total budgetary provision for CVR in 2017 budget including all the rerun and tenure elections, bye-elections and general elections is N1.2 billion this year.
“So all the money available in the budget is barely enough to pay for the cost of personnel for one day, assuming we deployed at Polling Units level, and that does not include se urity.” He further noted that for the commission to deploy personnel at 8,809 Registration Areas across the nation, would require 46,247 staff and 17,000 security personnel.
“If we are to pay the ad hoc staff N2,000 per day it will cost the Commission N92.4m everyday for the exercise.” Stretching his argument against decentralisation of the exercise further, Professor Yakubu said the procurement of the DDCM needed for the deployment at polling unit level is N129 billion, just as he gave a staggering cost of N137.4 billion for take off at polling units level.
He expressed regret that the ‘’commission doesn’t have the resources to deploy at that level.’’ On the epileptic performance of the Direct Data Capture Machines (DDCM) Machines, the INEC chairman admitted that most of the machines are now obsolete.
“Remember the life span of DDC machine as we have been told is four years. The last time the commission acquired DDC machine that we are currently using was in 2010/2011; that was between six and seven years ago. That is why we have the challenge, you see they are epileptic, slow and the rest.
“Each complete unit will cost a million naira. That is the machine, the printer, the fingerprint scanner, the web cam, the accessories.
Multiply by the number we require. So for the procurement of the DDC machine alone we need N129bn, if we are to deploy at Polling Unit level.
“Then of course you have to buy at least one power generating set per registration area because some of the locations have no power at all. That will cost the commission N2.6 billion.‘’
In spite of the depth of his argument, politicians appeared not swayed by Professor Yakubu’s explanation of paucity of funds. Chairman of Labour Party, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir insisted that INEC should find a way to move the exercise to ward level.
He said: “Majority of the electorate reside at the ward level. How many of them can travel to councils? I think INEC should take cognizance of that.
“They should also do something urgently about the data capturing machines. If it malfunctions at the councils, how do you expect it to work in rural areas?’’