Prior to this year’s general elections, a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) expressed alarm about allegations of missing permanent voter cards.
Maximilian Tashilani, the coordinator for the Coalition of Nigerian Youths, pushed President Muhammadu to honour his pledge to have honest elections while speaking to journalists at a press conference on Friday in Abuja.
Nigerians have received President Buhari’s assurances of his commitment to fair elections on numerous occasions.
In order to prepare voters for the elections, Tashilani gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a duty.
He also cautioned the legal system against passing rash court rulings and verdicts.
He said: “From all indications, President Muhammadu Buhari is not only desirous of bequeathing the legacy of a free and fair election, he is also poised to ensure that all institutions responsible for delivering credible elections are genuinely independent.
“The difficulties voters undergo to collect their PVCs are unbearable. Aside from the challenges of locating one PVC, there are also reports of missing PVCs.
“However, as a body, we will not shy away from our responsibility of drawing the nation’s attention to some acts that are capable of derailing the efforts made by Nigerians to ensure the elections are credible and hitch-free.
“Adequate voter education is the solution for delivering free, fair and credible elections. Moreover, such education equips voters with knowing their rights and responsibilities. However, our investigation has shown that such education embarked upon by INEC is inadequate.
“As we approach the 2023 general elections, the Judiciary will definitely be in the eyes of the storm. As Nigerians are enthusiastic about the coming election which is less than 50 days, a lot of Nigerians have expressed fears on the manipulation of the Judiciary and the Judicial system to make nonsense of the gains already made to sanitize the polity.”
