**encourages elite to collect their PVC, vote
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has indicated that the use of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the new electoral act will make rigging in the Nigerian electoral process almost impossible.
Prof Yakubu spoke at a Seminar on saturday with the theme: “2023 and Beyond: Leadership, Politics and Citizens Engagement” organised by the Christen Men Fellowship at St. James Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja.
He was proud to disclose that the BVAS app was developed by INEC engineers.
Prof. Yakubu who was represented at the occasion by Chukeuemeka Ugboaja, Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity (INEC) indicated that another thing that has given INEC courage to conduct free, fair and credible elections is the new Electoral Act (2022).
According to Mr. Ugboaja, Section 9 (6) of the Act, which deals with registration of voters empower INEC to end the exercise 90 days to the election, after which the commission “cleans the register”.
He said INEC cannot deregister anyone, but removed those who engaged in double registration, an exercise he referred to as the basis for a credible election”.
Another good thing in the new Act is “electronic transmission of election results from the polling unit”.
Ugboaja said ection 51, which deals with over voting, has now made it a function of the total number of accredited voters and not the total number of registered voters as it used to be. “If 20 voters are accredited to vote at a polling unit and you have 21 ballots in the ballot box the result of that unit is void”.
On declaring result under duress, he said “the law now empowers INEC to reject such result. He gave the example of Imo senatorial election where this happened in 2019, but the Court ordered INEC to issue certificate to the person. This can no longer happen.
Part of the problem of election, according to INEC has to do with elite in the urban centres who hardly vote in elections.
“I’m happy this seminar is coming from elite (Asokoro) who don’t pick their permanent voters cards (PVC) or vote on election days” adding that “they prefer to read newspaper than to vote”.
He said the commission is ready for the task ahead as it has already successfully carried out 8out of its 14 activities, but quickly added that “the people will elect the leader they want and not INEC”.
Dr. Sam Amadi former Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) who was the keynote speaker told the Christian leaders that it 8s their duty to elect leaders before God will affirm it.
“No matter how much we pry, it is our job as a spiritual exercise to take part in the election as a religious duty”, adding that “when you elect leader, they must be people who look like you, who understand you problem. There is danger in electing people from another class”
In his brief remarks, Ambassador Dr. Godknows Boladei Igali, former Federal Permanent Secretary who was Chairman of the occasion greatly congratulate the organisers of the event led by President of the Christian Men Fellowship (CMF) of the Church and by extension the Vicar and leadership of the entire Church for the “foresight and unique sense of responsibility in putting together such a great gathering”.
“Seen from the pedestal of knowledge incubation and dissemination, this seminar, coming at this opportune time in Nigerian history particularly of great worth and significance because the basic building framework for nations and civilization have only been made possible by popular saying that “ideas rule the world”, I must add, as much as God Almighty in whose house we gather today rules over the ideas”.
Mrs. Cesna Nuhu-Aken’Ova, former presidential aspirant on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said women and people with disability surfer most marginalisation.
“We lose a lot when we exclude women. Our communication must include women and people with disability. To relegate women is unscriptural”, as women played crucial roles in the Bible, she said.