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A non-governmental organization, Polling units Ambassadors of Nigeria(PUAN) has held its maiden expanded national executive council meeting in Abuja.
National Wire gathered that PUAN is a Non-Partisan Organization saddled with the responsibility of providing electoral awareness at the Polling Units and Community level.
Speaking at the meeting, PUAN Ambassador-General, Suleiman Dabas said the NGO was committed to ensuring that integrity is maintained in the conduct of polls in the Nigerian electoral system through sensitization of the electorates.
He called on the citizens to register to get their Permanent Voters Card, (PVC), so as to enable them vote for focused, responsive and accountable leadership at all levels of governance.
Our correspondent reports that the meeting which was hosted by the National Executives Council(NEC) of the organization, had in attendance the Ambassador-General, Secretary General, Members of the National Executives Council as well as the Zonal Deputy Ambassador Generals.
Others in attendance were, the Zonal Directors, State Ambassadors, and State Directors.
National Wire sources gatheredvthat the meeting was declared open by the Ambassador-General, PUAN, Amb Capt Suleiman Dabas and the Secretary General, Prince Osa Osaghae with the duo giving the guidelines of proceedings of the executive Council meeting.
High points of the meeting were the need for a continuous voters education and the dangers of votes buying.
A statement made available to Newsmen by one of a media Director with PUAN, Mr Domotimi Daniel, quoted the NGO as saying, they would make the electorates to understand that selling their votes amount to trading off their rights on who should govern or represents them.
The statement reads in parts: “Voters registration should be recognized as a potent process of ensuring that citizens exercise their voting rights as backed by law and acceptability and electoral outcome.
“That voters are fond of staying back during the CVR process of registration until it is few days to the close of the exercise, then they request for an extension of time.
Participants of the meeting also noticed that, “the number of hours spent at the CVR centres are unbearable, most Nigerians can not afford to spend such long hours at the CVR centres to get registered for PVC while their business and livelihood suffer.
“PUAN has also realized that during elections, ballot boxes and the poll cubicles are deliberately position to sabotage the secrecy of the voter, that the actions are either championed and perpetrated by party agents or individuals who have authorities in such Polling Units Community.
“Most times, the electoral officers are being harassed and intimidated by these individuals if their biddings are not well carried out.That a deliberate national review in the provisions of adequate security throughout election assignments have not been made, which should involve securing electoral officials, electoral materials and voting citizens.
“Again, PUAN has realized that the high cost of expression of interest and nominate forms by political parties are deliberate actions to introduce corrupt practices into our democratic practice.
“As an NGO, we’ve also realized that parties have technically disenfranchised Nigerian youths and women from the political circle with the introduction of some very strong party policies that are not favourable to the youths and women.
“That Nigerian politicians and their political parties are heavily involved in vote buying technique, if this is not checked now and given proper national attention, in no distance time, this act will destroy our collective Democratic struggle.
“As co-stakeholders with INEC in promoting better electoral reforms, our responsibility should include guaranteeing a level playing field for all actors.”
Meanwhile, PUAN has stated that there was urgent need for there to be a legislation to establish an electoral offences tribunals to see the immediate prosecution of electoral offenders, advising also that party agents should be kept 20 metres away from the voting cubicles to avoid unnecessary interference in the voting process.
The NGO insisted that Chief Security Officers(CSOs), the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and other relevant electoral reforms organizations should collaborate to increase electoral awareness especially at the grass roots on the dangers of vote buying and selling.
“The security agencies should rise up to the occasion by making arrest and conducting thorough investigation that will aid diligent prosecution in order to secure convictions as the best way to deter criminally minded politicians from embarking on this crime.
The PUAN NEC said: “the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) most urgently deploy additional machines to some of the most congested areas to ease the surge in the ongoing CVR as polling Units Ambassadors of Nigeria, PUAN, and other CSOs have launched intensive campaign to encourage registered voters to collect their PVCs and to increase voters turn out on election day”.
The NGO commended INEC on its persistent advocacy drive, saying it partly pressurized the President into signing the electoral act into law, just as the national executive Council meeting of the NGO also lauded INEC’s interactive policies with relevant stakeholders and the electoral umpires designed programmes which PUAN noted enhances the electoral process.
