Protesters block INEC headquarters, seek shift of election datesThe headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission was literally taken over on Wednesday by placard carrying protesters, who are demanding for a shift in the February 14 and 28 dates for the general elections by two months.
The protest was the second within the last two days at the Zambezi Street in Maitama, Abuja office of the INEC.
The protesters, in specific term, demanded for the postponement of the February 14presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the February 28Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The protesters based their demand for the shift in the dates of the polls on what they called the “marginalisation of the Southern part of the country” in the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards.
They alleged that the distribution of the PVCs has, so far, been skewed against the South and in favour of the North.
The protesters, who came under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Societies and Concerned Nigerians, pointed out that states in the Northern part of the country have received a total of 73 per cent of the PVCs, while the states in the South have merely received a paltry 46 per cent of the PVCs.
The North West geopolitical zone, the group said, has total registered voters of 18 million and has received 14 million or 75 per cent of the distributed PVC, leaving behind 2.6 million of voters that are yet to collect their PVCs.
It added that in the North East geo political zone has received 10.4 million PVCs, with a 7.4 million of PVC distribution and 2.9 million eligible voters yet to collect their PVCs.
The North Central geopolitical zone, according to the group, has total registered voters of 10.5 million, with 5.5 million recorded to have collected their PVCs and five million said not to have collected their PVCs.
The South West, the group said, has total registered voters of 13.1 million, out of which 6.4 million or 48.7 per cent have received their PVCs and 6.7 million yet to collect theirs, while in the South South, there is a registered voters of 8.9 million, out of which only 3.9 million or 44.1 per cent have collected and 4.9 million yet to collect their PVCs.
Coming to the South East, the group said there are 7.1 million voters, with 3.1 million said to have collected their PVCs, while 4.1 million of the registered voters are yet to collect theirs.
It pointedly declared that it would remain one of the wonders of the world for INEC to distribute 24 million PVCs between Wednesday and Sunday.
The Coordinator of the group, Amanda Chisom, explained that the civil societies are demanding for a shift in line with Section 132 subsections 2 of the Electoral Act that provides that election could be shifted within 90 days.
Chison said under the circumstances, the election should be shifted to either March or April to enable the distribution of the PVCs to all eligible voters to be completed.
Chisom claimed that they were received by an official of INEC from the Legal Department who informed them that the commission would look into their petition in the next few days.