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.
โPeople 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,โ Olurode said on Channels Televisionโs Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.
โINEC 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 canโt be lamenting all year round but the majority of the elite wonโt go out there,โ 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.
โIโm 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 votersโ list is displayed, people should go, observe and be sure that their names are on the register,โ Olurode stated.
โYou cannot go there on the day of election and begin to complain that โmy name is not there.โ We have to take it very seriously and I think INEC can be more active in providing enough education for people.โ