A group, Voting Rights Movement, VRM, has frowned at the calls by some Nigerians, including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that the use of Permanent Voter Cards, PVC and card readers be jettisoned by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for the 2015 general elections, arguing that they are the best options the nation has to guard against electoral malpractices.
The group also advised Nigerians to be vigilant as the general elections approach and called on politicians to to be mindful of their utterances so as not to jeopardize the political process.
Calling on all stakeholders to endorse the use of PVCs and card readers, VRM insisted that ”It is conceded that the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) prohibits the use of electronic voting machine but it doesn’t prohibit the use of PVCs and card readers for accreditation/verification of eligible voters”
Calling on the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, to be mindful of his comments, VRM said: ”We make bold to say that the duty of the NSA is to advise the President on security matters pure and simple but for an NSA to be assuring that elections will hold is ultra vires; it is not only unprofessional but smacks of impunity”.
The group also argued that President Jonathan lacked the powers to sack Prof. Jega.
”No, the President has no such powers to fire, remove or ‘suspend’ the INEC chairman without recourse to the Senate. We all must have a respect for the rule of law”.
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