A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, has sounded a note of warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its purported plan to destroy over six million uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Shittu’s warning centers on the need for adequate public consultation, notice, and clear evidence of exhaustive distribution efforts before embarking on such destruction.
According to Shittu, destroying uncollected PVCs raises significant legal and ethical questions. He argued that PVCs contain sensitive voter information, and as such, their destruction must comply with data protection laws to prevent potential misuse or breaches of voter privacy. Shittu emphasized that the unilateral destruction of PVCs without transparency or stakeholder engagement could damage public confidence in INEC’s commitment to credible elections.
Shittu highlighted several risks associated with destroying unclaimed PVCs. The destruction of PVCs without proper justification may lead to allegations of negligence or bias against INEC. Millions of Nigerians who may not have been adequately informed about collection timelines or locations may be disenfranchised. Furthermore, the unilateral destruction of PVCs could damage public confidence in INEC’s ability to conduct credible elections.
Recommendations for INEC
Shittu recommended that INEC should demonstrate that it had taken all reasonable steps to distribute the PVCs, including targeted awareness campaigns and extended collection periods. INEC should also consult with political parties, civil society groups, and the public to discuss the rationale and implications of destroying unclaimed PVCs. Additionally, INEC should provide detailed information about the number of uncollected PVCs, reasons for non-collection, steps taken to facilitate collection, and the proposed method of destruction.
Instead of destroying unclaimed PVCs, Shittu suggested that INEC consider archiving them for future retrieval by their rightful owners. This approach would help to prevent disenfranchisement and maintain public trust in the electoral process.
Another Senior Advocate Weighs In
Ifedayo Adedipe, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, shared Shittu’s concerns, stating that destroying unclaimed PVCs was unwise. Adedipe advised that INEC should permanently keep the PVCs rather than destroy them, citing the potential for disenfranchisement and the lack of legislation preventing INEC from destroying PVCs.
