Release outstanding voter cards, lawmaker tells INEC

Worried by the manner the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) handled the distribution of voter cards during the 2015 general election, a lawmaker, Honourable Shadimu Mutiu has called on the electoral body to release outstanding voters’ cards that were not released before the last general elections.

The member, who made this call, recalled what happened in the last general election when many eligible voters were disenfranchised adding that such scenario should be prevented by releasing the voter cards far ahead of the next election.

Mutiu, who is representing Oshodi/Isolo federal constituency of Lagos State at the National Assembly stated that before the last general election,  “states like Lagos with higher number of voters got fewer voter cards. This culminated in the disenfranchising of many eligible voters”

The lawmaker who had moved a motion to support the call added that “distribution of voter cards may in some cases produce unpopular candidates resulting in triumph of the minority over the majority which is antithetical to all known democratic tenets.”

He revealed that INEC is often caught in the web of last minute preparations for elections in line with the unholy culture of African time,  adding that it is a breach of the fundamental human rights of registered voters to be denied voting due to administrative hiccups on the part of INEC

While calling on the Federal Government to ensure adequate provisions of funds for INEC to cope with its enormous responsibilities as at when due he “urged eligible voters’ to register with INEC and obtain their  voting cards on time.”