David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
A group, International College of Democracy and Human Rights, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address areas that can cause disenfranchisement and rigging in the 2023 presidential election.
The group also stated that beyond disenfranchising many, it has uncovered ways the election may be rigged, and therefore called on the commission to address them.
In a statement signed by principal officers of the group, including Emeka Umeagbalasi, a human rights activist, the group, which consists of academics, rights activists, and international organisations listed 20 ways the commission is disenfranchising many Nigerians, and 10 ways it plans to rig the election.
The group said: “Shrinking of delineation of constituencies, registration and voting centres targeted at a particular ethno-religious group or groups on the grounds of their tribe or religion, provision of inadequate manpower and machines for registration and their deployment in non-Muslim areas, especially the South-east and South-south are some of the ways.
“Others are malfunctioning of voters’ registration machines targeted at a particular ethno-religious group/groups in the northern and southern areas, discriminatory programming of registration machines using computer command languages or instructions, non-issuance or discriminatory issuance of PVCs to registered voters.”
It said it also uncovered secret programming of the registration machine, deliberate and discriminatory policy of capturing minors and other underage in the North are some of the issues in contention.
The group also alleged that the commission planned to heavily militarise some zones during the election, as well as instigate group violence and other coordinated attacks against members of a particular voting population on the grounds of their faith and tribe.
It called on the INEC to address the areas noticed, saying Nigerians need to be assured of a free, fair and transparent poll in 2023.
“We call on INEC to respond to all the issues raised and outline how to tackle them headlong, including reversal of the 20 citizens’ disenfranchisement and 10 election rigging plots outlined,” the group said.
