The fundamental underpin of democracy is election and the concept of universal adult suffrage. Here in Nigeria, adults of eighteen years and above are constitutionally empowered to choose their leaders through the ballot box. Sadly, this right is being abridged in Delta State by the Independent National Electoral Commission incompetence, ineptitude and inefficiency.
Speaking to reporters recently in Asaba, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rev Monday Udoh said that 300,000 registrants were yet to collect their PVC since 2019. However, The Pond news understands that the figure could be higher. He also said that in November 2022, unspecified numbers of voterscards would be available for collection. This is sad and outlandish. Since 2019, voters cards are domesticated in INEC offices across the state with no effort by the electoral body to give the cards to their rightful owners.
The deliberate refusal by the electoral body to give the voters cards to their owners is the best advertisement yet of how civil servants frustrate the good intentions of government. The allegations of INEC officials’ unfriendly attitude and corruption begin to wear the semblance of reality. Coupled with the recent flood disasters where about seventeen INEC local government offices are submerged under water, many adult Deltans and residents in the state may not participate in next year election. These indifferent and docile attitudes of INEC officials have abridged the electoral space and this is not good for popular participation in democracy.
This newspaper therefore makes a passionate appeal to the national chairman of INEC Prof Mahmood Yakubu to urgently do a forensic analysis of the crisis plaguing Delta State. Most INEC officials are holed up in cozy offices in Asaba without travelling to the local government areas offices to access the situation on the ground. This, we find very repugnant, repulsive and objectionable.
We also call on the leading political parties in Delta state, the PDP, APC and Labour Party not to sit on the fence and watch their members disenfranchised. Our aim here is to serve the best interest of society and when things go wrong, we are scout ready to climb the highest mountain to trumpet it so that the whole country will be aware of it. In less than four months, Nigerians shall go to the polls to elect their president. It would be most unfortunate for INEC to conscript the rights of Deltans and residents to participate in choosing their leaders. This breach by INEC under whatever veneer must not be allowed to stand.
