Follow Us on Google
By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
The desk officer of Nigeria Civil Society Organization, Voter’s Registration Department, Independent National Electoral oommission (INEC) Office, Lagos, Luka Buba, has enumerated steps that prospective voters should follow to register and get their permanent voter’s card (PVC).
Buba gave the rundown at a sensitisation/discussion programme in Lagos as part of activities to commemorate Fathers’ Day celebration.
He said the websites for the registration were https:cvr.inecnigeria.org and https:cvr.inec.gov.ng.
Buba explained that: “After the online registration, the prospective voter needs to go to the INEC office close by for biometric capture and the PVC.
“You can transfer your voter’s card to where you stay now, if you have relocated. You can update your information like date of birth, names, on the online portal. New PVC will be issued for you to enable you to vote. If your card is lost or damaged, you can request for another one. Those who have just turned 18 should also register.
“When you visit the INEC website, you can create a portal account. The password will be created so that you can log in to review your information and log out. The registration is actually for those who have attained the age of 18 years and above. You can also transfer your PVC from your former place of residence to a new place.
“Those that lost their PVC or have it damaged can still get another one but they will still need biometric capture at the INEC office. It is the number of accreditation that ballot paper will be issued at the polling unit to avoid irregularities during the election. We started issuing PVC since 2011. So, if you have it is still valid unless if it is defaced or lost; you can do another one. Or maybe you have issues with capturing or thumbprint, you can do another one.”
He assured Nigerians that INEC was prepared for the 2023 general election, noting that technology has made the process easy.
On election malpractices, vote-buying and ballot-snatching, among others, he said: “You always have such because it is a game where you have different players coming to contest under different political parties.”
He added that election malpractices should not discourage people from casting their votes.
“Voters need to come out to cast their vote and after that defend it till collation and announcement of results. A lot of people have registered and they have not picked up their cards. Some get theirs but they do not come out to cast their vote on election day. Voter apathy is one of the banes of our elections.”
He said INEC has continued to use technology to aid the electoral process, “this time around it has improved the accreditation process by introducing a bi-modal accreditation process, whereby voters are going to be accredited through the fingerprint or facial biometric for them to be able to cast their vote.
“For this, now, the incident form that was formally used when the card reader could not identify voters is done away with permanently. So, right now if the PVC does not belong to you or you don’t have one, you will not be able to vote on election day.
“By this, it shows that it will be difficult for any form of malpractice to take place because it is only those who are accredited that would be issued ballot papers to cast their votes. It shows that the issue of malpractice we used to know will be a thing of the past now. There are people who are yearning for a better society.”
On her part, the general overseer of Overcomers Church World Outreach, Virginia Moses, said, in the mood of the Father’s Day celebration, President Muhammadu Buhari needs to address the security challenges facing the country because only the living can vote or be voted for. She also hailed the men who have made sacrifices in the battlefield in order to protect the territorial integrity of the country.
“A lot of people have been killed gruesomely. Nigerians want a safe country,” she said.
She stated that the Church would continue to educate people on the election process and thanked INEC officials for being available to educate the congregation. She also expressed hope that the 2023 elections will be better organised than previous ones.
In addition, the senior pastor of the Aguda-Surulere church branch, Evelyn Afemike, advised fathers to live responsibly and shun divorce, to raise morally upright children.
She urged men to live up to their responsibilities in grooming their wards to avoid exposing the children to social vices.
“Fatherhood entails understanding your obligations and responsibilities as a man to your wife, children and the society at large.
“The absence of fathers in training the children has caused social menace in the society.
The father and mother should stay together to raise the children. Try to understand your differences and live happily together.
“The home is a place to celebrate and not a place to be beating your wife and oppressing her,’’ the cleric said.
Afemike urged men to lead by example, radiate qualities worthy of emulation and to be picked as role models by their children and others.
She said fathers should stand up to their responsibilities even when their wives earn more than they do and financial responsibilities must be met.
She said: “Align yourself with the word of God. Build your spiritual stamina by reading books from anointed men of God so as to gain wisdom.
“You must walk away from every act of selfishness, destruction, adultery, indolence, gossip and unhealthy relationships.
“Real fathers are constructive in approaching issues of life, not selfish.
“Pursue integrity, holiness, righteousness, spirituality, be a critical thinker and don’t be ruled by your emotions.
“True fathers accept responsibilities, own up to their failures and take steps to make improvements.”
Another side attraction was the father-and-daughter dance.
