2015 Polls’ PVC Update & Allied Matters: The Truth INEC Has Hidden From Nigerians

(Democracy & Civil Liberties, Onitsha Nigeria, 19th February 2015)-On Tuesday, 17th February 2015, our leadership (Intersociety) released the third volume of our explosive publication (How INEC Tainted & Sectionalized Nigeria's National Register of Voters). Its volumes one and two had earlier been released on 15th and 16th February 2015. As the referenced third volume was enjoying its world-wide circulation and readership on electronic media news, the headship of Independent National Electoral Commission under Prof Attahiru M. Jega, released its PVC distribution update across the country same day with State-by-State breakdown saying that as at 17th Feb 2015, a total of 52, 233, 396 PVCs have been distributed across the country. The INEC in its referenced update praised itself as having achieved 75.88 per cent in the PVC distribution across the update. On Wednesday, 18th February 2015, Chairman of INEC, Prof Attahiru M. Jega appeared before the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to update the upper Chambers on how far the Commission has gone in its preparations for the referenced rescheduled polls. The proceedings were dominated with the usual fallacious “we are fully ready for 2015 elections” pronouncements on the part of INEC team.

Having been the first rights group in Nigeria that demystified the INEC's headship false sainthood and unmasked its gross inefficiencies and ethno-religious bias, it is our resolve again to forensically review the two referenced developments and mark out the odds buried underneath. These we do in consonance with Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as it concerns treating all sections of the country equally and fairly in the distribution of collective resources, properties and materials including PVC as well as formulation and implementation of egalitarian public policies including procedures and processes of distribution and collection of PVC, voting accreditation and voting. It remains our clear observation that the referenced section of the Constitution is observed by INEC in grave breach in its recent public conducts particularly the distribution of PVCs.

PVC Distribution Remains Grossly Lopsided In Geopolitical Setting:

Geopolitical Zone/States
Northwest
No. of Registered Voters (RVs) PVCs Distributed (17th February 2015) Denied PVCs

1. Kano=4, 975, 701 3, 487, 155 1, 488, 546

2. Kaduna=3, 407, 222 3, 133, 813 273,409

3. Katsina= 2, 827, 943 2, 620, 829 207, 114

4. Jigawa=1, 831, 276 1, 706, 814 124, 462

5. Sokoto= 1, 611, 929 1, 380, 840 231, 089

6. Kebbi= 1, 470, 648 1, 316, 656 153, 992

7. Zamfara=1, 495, 717 1, 458, 519 37, 198

Total RVs Northwest Zone=17, 620, 472 (7th Jan 2015)

Total PVCs Distributed (17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=2, 495, 790(17th Feb 2015)
Northeast (war stricken)
No. of Registered Voters (RVs) PVCs Distributed (17th February 2015) Denied PVCs

8. Bauchi=2, 054, 125 1, 745, 411 308, 714

9. Adamawa=1, 559, 012 1, 328, 136 230, 876

10. Taraba=1, 340, 652 1, 196,583 144, 069

11. Gombe=1, 120, 029 1, 064, 577 55, 452

12. Yobe=1, 099, 970 824, 401 275, 569

13. Borno=1, 934, 079 1, 320, 667 603, 412

Total RVs=9, 107, 861 (7th Jan 2015)
Total PVCs Distributed=7, 489, 769(17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=1, 608, 092(17th Feb 2015)
North-central
No. of Registered Voters (RVs) PVCs Distributed (17th February 2015) Denied PVCs

14. Benue= 2, 015, 452 1, 548, 074 467, 378

15. Plateau=2, 001, 825 1, 406, 528 595, 297

16. Niger=2, 014, 317 1, 413, 015 601, 302

17. Kwara=1, 142, 267 843, 792 298, 475

18. Kogi= 1, 350, 883 914, 164 436, 719

19. Nasarawa=1, 242, 667 1, 196, 583 46, 084

Total RVs=9, 767, 411(7th Jan 2015)
Total PVCs Distributed=7, 322, 156 (17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=2, 445, 255(17th Feb 2015)
Southwest
No. of Registered Voters (RVs) PVCs Distributed (17th February 2015) Denied PVCs

20. Lagos=5, 905, 852 3, 685, 322 2, 220, 530

21. Oyo= 2, 415, 566 1, 569, 390 846, 176

22. Ogun=1, 829, 534 747, 556 1, 081, 978

23. Osun=1, 407, 107 1, 012, 678 394, 429

24. Ondo=1, 524, 655 1, 071, 010 453, 645

25. Ekiti=732, 021 503, 431 225, 348

Total RVs=13, 814, 735(7th Jan 2015)
Total PVCs Distributed=8, 589, 387(17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=5, 225, 348(17th Feb 2015)
South-south
No. of Registered Voters (RVs) PVCs Distributed (17th February 2015) Denied PVCs

26. Rivers=2, 537, 590 1, 923, 139 614, 451

27. Delta=2, 275, 264 1, 728, 524 546, 740

28. Edo=1, 779, 738 1, 145, 782 633, 956

29. A. Ibom=1, 680, 759 1, 468, 708 212, 051

30. C.River=1, 175, 623 879, 249 296, 374

31. Bayelsa=610, 373 404, 119 206, 254

Total RVs=10, 059, 347(7th Jan 2015)
Total PVCs Distributed= 7, 549, 521(17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=2, 509, 826(17th Feb 2015)
Southeast
No. of Registered Voters (RVs) PVCs Distributed (17th February 2015) Denied PVCs

32. Anambra=1, 963, 173 1, 499, 317 463, 956

33. Imo=1, 803, 030 1, 252, 030 551, 000

34. Enugu=1, 429, 221 1, 065, 210 364, 011

35. Abia=1, 396, 162 1, 115, 634 280, 528

36. Ebonyi=1, 074, 351 714, 351 359, 922

Total RVs=7,665, 859(7th Jan 2015)
Total PVCs Distributed=5, 646, 442(17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=2, 019, 417(17th Feb 2015)
Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Total RVs=881, 472(7th Jan 2015)
Total PVCs Distributed=541, 359(17th Feb 2015)
Total RVs Denied PVCs=340, 113(17th Feb 2015)
Grand Summary:
1. The Northeast zone torn apart by Islamist Boko Haram insurgency is the zone with the least number of registered voters that have not received their PVCs with 1, 608, 092 RVs (registered voters).

2. The Southwest zone; Nigeria's political opposition, civil rights and media hub, is the zone with highest number of registered voters that have not received their PVCs with 5, 225, 348 RVs.

3. While, the North including the FCT has a total of 37, 377, 216 RVs (registered voters), the South is left with only 31, 539, 941 with the North surpassing the South with 5, 837, 275.

4. While the North including FCT has a whopping total of 29, 936, 607 PVCs as at 17th February 2015, the South is left with only 21,785, 350 with a difference of 8, 692, 616 PVCs for the North against the South.

5. The number of PVCs distributed in six States of the Northwest zone; namely Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto and Kebbi totaling 13, 646, 107; is higher than the total PVCs distributed in the entire eleven States of the South-south and Southeast zones totaling 13, 195, 963.

6. The number of PVCs distributed in the entire 13 States of the Northwest and the Northeast zone totaling 22, 614, 451 is higher than the PVCs distributed in the entire South with 17 States totaling 21, 489, 769.

7. The total number of registered voters that have not received their PVCs in Nigeria as at 17th Feb 2015 is 16, 600, 080.

8. While a whopping total of 9, 754, 591 registered voters have not received their PVCs as of date in the South, only 6, 899, 250 have not received theirs in the North.

9. It may most likely be correct to conclude that 50% of those that have not received their PVCs in the Northwest and the Northeast zones are non indigenes dominated by Igbo pastoralists who fled the area to escape hate killing and violence orchestrated by their host populations.

10. Till date, about 1.3m PVCs are yet to be produced, delivered and distributed by INEC and its contractors.

11. It is strange and magical as per how INEC distributed a whopping total of 7, 489, 769 PVCs in the war stricken Northeast zone out of its total RVs of 9, 107, 861; leaving it with only 1, 608, 092 registered voters without PVCs. This is the zone which precarious security situation to shift in the dates of 2015 polls.

12. INEC's PVC distribution as well as voters' registration in Nigeria under the midwifery of Prof Attahiru M. Jega, is gravely ethno-religious and lopsided; contrary to Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 with its last amendment.

These are the raw truth, which the headship of the Independent National Electoral Commission has refused to tell Nigerians, preferring to celebrate its monumental failures at every given opportunity such as at the Senate Plenary Session under referenced. INEC is grossly incompetent, ethno-religiously bias and corrupted. Our Facts are not yet exhausted.

Signed:
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law

Emeka Umeagbalasi, B.Sc. (Hons.) Criminology & Security Studies

Board Chairman, International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law

+2348174090052(office)
Uzochukwu Oguejiofor, Esq., (LLB, BL), Head, Campaign & Publicity Department