Yemisi Izuora
BudgIT has expressed concern over possibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducting elections that will been seen as truly fair and transparent in the face of contentious accusations of rigging from both sides of the political divide and coupled with the abrupt ‘logistic’ failure of the agency.
BudgIT said it is deeply worried about the secrecy in which the major data that can safeguard the elections from possible manipulations is being confined.
In a statement it said, that the electoral commission, has declared that there are 84 million registered voters for the general elections but has not fully disclosed the total number of collected voters cards across the country?
“It is instructive that “84 million registered voters” is vague and susceptible to manipulation the very moment Nigerians are barred from the actual data of collected PVCs.
Fifty-two million as of February 17, 2015, this data was published – regular updates in fact – in the last elections. The hesitation today by INEC to do the needful casts immense doubts around its integrity, therefore, the credibility of the upcoming elections.
We’re calling, once again, on INEC to publish immediately the total number of voters cards collected in all states. In the pursuance of fair elections, this is the right thing. Nigerians should, amidst many uncertainties, have data of expected votes”, the statement said.