2023 Elections: CSOs Task INEC On Building Electorate's Confidence On BVAS

Ahead of the 2023 general election, Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to build Nigerians' Confidence around Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to ensure a free and fair poll.

 The Executive Director CHRICED, Dr Ibrahim  Zikirullahi who gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja, during a press briefing on the state of the nation, tasked the commission to deliver a successful election.

Zikirullahi lamented that Nigerians are experiencing many difficulties that have serious implications for the welfare and well-being of its citizen, attributing it to the failure of the present administration.

He admonished Nigerians to use the coming election to champion a new cause as well as change the system of the country by electing the right leaders.

“It is yet another opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and breathe new life into it by electing the right leaders, the election is taking place when the country is facing numerous challenges.

“Ordinary people all over the country have felt the effect of bad and poorly implemented policies which have caused untold hardship and made citizens’ lives even more miserable than they were before.

“From insecurity to the turmoil in the economy and to the lack of jobs for those willing and ready to work, there are more than enough reasons for all registered Nigerians to come out in good numbers on Election Day to exercise their democratic rights. 

Also speaking on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) naira redesign and currency swab, Dr Zikirullahi described it as a half-baked policy, noting this has inflicted more misery and hardship on the Nigerian people.

“Disturbing pictures of persons in a life and death struggle to obtain new notes from banks and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) have become commonplace across the country.

“While ordinary people do not have access to the new banknotes, provocative videos of partygoers spraying bundles of the notes have surfaced on social media.

“CHRICED finds it untenable that while the CBN keeps insisting that it has supplied the redesigned currency to banks, the new notes have hardly ever been available, resulting to serious currency scarcity. The situation has deteriorated to the point where unscrupulous POS operators now charge between 20 to 30 per cent of the amount withdrawn.