Former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Lai Olurode has called on registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“People obtain the cards for other uses, not primarily for the purpose of elections. I think for those who are interested voters, by now they should have known if their cards are ready,” Olurode said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.
“INEC is complaining that people are not coming out to collect their cards. People should go out there, collect their cards, and take elections more seriously. We can’t be lamenting all year round but the majority of the elite won’t go out there,” he added.
The former INEC commissioner addressed the decision by the commission to forego incident forms, previously introduced by the Attahiru Jega administration of INEC as a means of documenting instances of technological challenges during an election.
He cited the possibility of the forms being abused as a likely reason for its removal from the election process.
“I’m sure INEC will have its backup plans to accommodate instances that could not have been foreseen. But I think it is important to stress that when the voters’ list is displayed, people should go, observe and be sure that their names are on the register,” Olurode stated.
“You cannot go there on the day of election and begin to complain that ‘my name is not there.’ We have to take it very seriously and I think INEC can be more active in providing enough education for people.”