The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to utilize the six weeks period of postponement of the country’s general election to resolve the challenges surrounding the issuance of Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs.
There are still about 20 million PVCs yet to be collected by voters while some PVCs are still being produced and/or awaiting delivery at this time, the NBA said.
Augustine Alegeh, NBA President advised INEC to request the federal government to declare a minimum of two works free days to enable voters collect their PVCs from their polling stations.
“PVCs are central to the success of the 2015 General Elections and INEC must apply its best endeavors to ensure that all problems in respect of PVCs are resolved well before the 28th of March, 2015,” Alegeh said in a statement.
Noting that INEC can not be expected to proceed with the elections without the required security support, Alegeh said, “The task before our security forces now is to deal decisively with the Boko Haram insurgency to resolve any lingering doubts about the good faith of the security advisory.”
The NBA also noted that the security advisory relied upon by INEC in postponing the 2015 general elections indicates that Nigerian security forces are “aggressively combating” the Boko Haram insurgency.
NBA therefore expressed hope that the combined security forces will totally eliminate the insurgents and secure the North Eastern States of Nigeria, that have taken the brunt of the insurgents’ attacks, in the next six weeks.
“We await a positive and successful outcome of the security forces onslaught against Boko Haram as indicated in the security advisory,” Alegeh added.
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