FRIDAY, 13TH JANUARY 2023
ABUJA, NIGERIA
For Immediate Release:
SITUATION ROOM’S STATEMENT ON THE GENERAL OUTLOOK OF PREPARATIONS, 42 DAYS TO THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has observed with keen interest recent events regarding the 2023 General Elections. Situation Room welcomes the assurance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman that the General Elections will hold on the scheduled dates. When the Nigerian National Assembly passed a new Electoral law on 25th January 2022, this was welcomed by Nigerians and Nigerian watchers as a major watershed to help improve elections in the country. The Electoral Act 2022 renewed the hope and confidence of Nigerians and built expectations that the 2023 elections will be conducted efficiently by INEC. This led to massive trooping out of Nigerians to register and update their information on the voters’ roll.
At this time, the Situation Room notes the following:
SECURITY CONCERNS AND INSECURITY
Situation Room is worried that the security agencies have not sufficiently dispelled the concerns that have given rise to the insecurity across the country. Any threat to the conduct of the 2023 General Elections could similarly pose serious national security concerns and a threat to the peace and stability of the country. Nigerian voters are waiting to cast their vote for a new government in 2023 that would hopefully address the disappointments and failures of past electoral promises and set the country on a path to national unity and development.
TRAINING OF AD HOC STAFF AND VOTER SENSITIZATION
Situation Room notes that with the Presidential Election only a few days away, the training of ad hoc staff needs to be intensified to enable the staff properly acquaint themselves with the workings and usage of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) well ahead of the elections. INEC also needs to step up civic education of voters. More awareness materials should be produced and disseminated via mainstream and social media including conducting of physical sensitization. Voters need to be aware of voting guidelines, electoral offences and penalties especially regarding ‘vote buying and selling’ which is a major concern as seen in the Ekiti and Osun States Governorship Elections in 2022.
PERMANENT VOTERS CARDS (PVC) COLLECTION
Situation Room commends the Commission for extending the PVC collection at the Ward level and further commends Nigerians who have made out time to go and collect their PVC. The Ward level collection has been a big motivation and has encouraged a larger number of people go and collect their PVC because of the proximity to their locations and homes.
With the crowds observed during this exercise and the determination for a better Nigeria, Situation Room notes that the extension may still not be sufficient time for voters to collect their PVCs. Situation Room also notes the complaints of Nigerians on the strenuous collection process in some Ward collection centres ranging from unavailability of their PVCs to long hours of sorting, disorganised distribution systems resulting in time wastage, etc. Situation Room calls on INEC to further extend the Ward level collection until the 5th of February 2023 to enable more people collect their PVCs with ease and deploy more staff to the Ward centres to ease distribution of PVCs and fasten the process. This will also enable INEC attend to complaints arising from unavailability of PVCs for some new registrants.
Situation Room reminds the Commission of its commitment to ensure ease in the electoral processes and listen to the appeals of Nigerians to extend the Ward level collection.
CONCLUSION
Taking into cognisance the statement of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the position of the Federal Government remains that the 2023 General Elections will be held as planned, Situation Room, therefore, calls on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Service Chiefs to urgently convene to address these security concerns. This will assure Nigerians that they are up to the task of their mandate to ensure the safety of lives and property across the country, and that there will also be no interference with the 2023 elections as scheduled, as Nigerians will not accept any attempt to scuttle the conduct of the General Elections.
Situation Room urges INEC to do everything within its power to ensure that all preparations and processes are in order for a smooth conduct of the General Elections.
Situation Room also urges all registered voters to go out en masse and collect their PVCs. People’s Votes Count when we all vote in the 2023 General Elections.
Remember that your Vote is Your Power!
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SIGNED:
Ene Obi
Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
Asma’u Joda
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
James Ugochukwu
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
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The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria numbering more than seventy. The Steering Committee is made up of: Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), African Centre for Entrepreneurship and Information Development (ACEIDEV), Justice Development and Peace Commission (JPDC) Nnewi, ASPILOS Foundation, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Mac-Jim Foundation, Kimpact Development Initiative, Democratic Action Group (DAG), Women’s Rights to Education Programme, EDO CSOs, Young Innovators and Vocational Training Initiative (YVITI), New Initiative for Social Development (NISD). Other groups are Centre LSD, CISLAC, WARD-C, Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI), Enough is Enough Nigeria, WANGONET, JDPC, Yiaga Africa, Development Dynamics, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), Stakeholder Democracy Network, Human Rights Monitor, Reclaim Naija, CITAD, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR,) Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), Electoral Hub etc.
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