Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has declared November 7 a work-free day to enable workers in the state’s employ participate in the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs). He has also demanded explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the 4.8 million registered voters figure for Lagos State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, had on October 29, announced the commission’s decision to distribute Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, to that number of people in the State starting from Friday, November 7 to 9, 2014, but Fashola described the figure as an attempt to disenfranchise majority of Lagos electorate in the forthcoming 2015 general elections as it showed a shortfall of 1,447,845 to the previously released 6,247,845 registered voters announced by INEC in the registration exercise before the 2011 elections.
The governor made this known in a special broadcast to residents of the state, on the commencement of the issuance of PVCs by INEC in the state, held at the State House, Marina, Lagos.
According to Fashola, with the commencement of the process of issuance of PVCs in Lagos, the process for elections has begun.
“So for the avoidance of any doubt, elections have started,” he said.
“This obligation has become very important because of the reports emanating from INEC at a press briefing by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos that the number of voters in Lagos is now 4,800,000.
“This is strange, it is surprising and I believe INEC owes the people of Lagos a lot of answers and very quickly too.
“INEC must explain to us how 1,447,845 voter registration cards disappeared to leave Lagos with only 4,800,000 registered voters.
“INEC has itself attempted to ascribe the disappearance of 1,447,845 registered voters on its register in Lagos to what it calls “consolidation”; “Business Rule” and AFIS.”
“Lagosians demand to know what these terms mean. Are they provided for in the Electoral Act?
“Are they INEC’s plans to disenfranchise Lagosians from exercising their rights to choose their own representatives?
“Are they part of a plan to confer an undue-advantage in the next elections to any person or to frustrate the choice of Lagosians as we have seen in other states?,” asked the governor.
