The Independent National Electoral Com- mission (INEC) has been urged to ensure that lapses observed in Saturday’s general elections are rectified before the conduct of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections slated for April 11. The electoral body has also been charged to adopt measures to allow those on essential duties to vote on Election Day.
At the moment, Nigerian workers on essential duties who cannot vote during election days due to the nature of their job include journalists, security officials, observers, electoral officials, among others. The National Democratic Institute (NDI) gave these charges at a press conference in Abuja on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the international observer mission to Nigeria’s presidential and legislative elections, former assistant secretary of state for African affairs at the US Department of State, Johnnie Carson, said the Institute called for a review of widespread delays in the opening of polling units as well as ‘severe overcrowding’ in some polling units.
Carson, a member of the NDI board of directors, not- ed that while the responsibility to obtain PVCs resides with the registered voter, the commission should collaborate with political par- ties and civil societies to encourage the remaining 18 percent of prospective voters who did not collect their cards to do so.
