PVC collection: Southern, Northern leaders raise alarm

The frustration by Nigerians in the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), has continued to generate mixed reactions, despite repeated promises by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the exercise would be seamless.

In many parts of the country, especially in Southern states, Nigerians in their thousands who have been trying, but without success to pick their PVCs, said the frustration said it might be part of a deliberate move to disenfranchise them.

In Edo, Enugu, Rivers, Lagos, Kano, Oyo and in other cities, findings by Saturday Sun revealed that many Nigerians have yet to collect their PVCs, including the nation’s capital, Abuja.

INEC had previously said it would end the PVC collection on 22 January, 2023 having started the process on December 12, 2022.

After deliberations at the commission’s headquarters on Thursday, its Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye, announced a new deadline for the PVC collection.

After a week of distributing the PVCs at Local Government Offices, INEC took the distribution exercise to the Registration Areas/Wards from January 6.

The distribution at the ward level, earlier scheduled to end on 15 January, has been extended to continue until 22 January, when the exercise would be taken back to the local government offices.

Amidst the rush, allegations of extortion by staff and officials of INEC, have continued to blight successes recorded so far.

But the commission said it is investigating the allegations by officials and “some unscrupulous voters’ trying to circumvent the process at some of the collection centres. Those found culpable will face disciplinary action and/or prosecution.”

While describing the difficulties that Nigerians are experiencing in getting the PVCs as very unfortunate, the apex Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere implored both the federal government and INEC to find urgent ways to address the issue in view of the fact that the elections are fast approaching.

The group’s spokesman, Mr. Jare Ajayi said: “Why must Nigerians be experiencing this ugly development? It is very sad that it has become a tradition that when Nigerians want to collect something of national importance that they must go through this kind of experience. Look at what happened with the collection of the National identity card, it is the same thing.

“Some Nigerians are yet to collect it even up till now. However, in view of the time frame between now, and the time of the elections which is very short, something urgent must be done to ensure that the issue is frontally addressed.”

Calling for a thorough investigation into what might be responsible for the ugly development, he said: “The current development is an ill-wind that will blow nobody any good, thorough investigations should be carried out, and I heard that INEC is looking into the issue, and they have vowed that if any INEC official is found culpable, that such an official will be sanctioned, and that’s a good step in the right direction. This is a critical period , and we can’t afford to allow issue like this to jeopardise the forthcoming elections.

“An extension of time is the right solution, and INEC should be commended for doing that. While commending INEC, we are however, calling on those who are creating bottlenecks on this issue to stop in order not to create the impression that the commission is not ready for the elections.

“We urge Nigerians that they should remember that anything that they do will have consequences. They should do things that will uplift the nation, and should not create problem when there is no reason for it,” he added.

Ohanaeze spokesman, Alex Ogbonna, said it would be very unfortunate for INEC to start showing disparity in the collection of PVCs, noting that it would not in any way help Nigeria.

According to him, “I have been on the side of INEC so far, but if it has started showing disparity in the collection of PVCs, it is very unfortunate; more so, if it has started creating barriers among regions, it will not help Nigeria.

“A lot of efforts have been made to make INEC succeed – it has been very much funded, so, it doesn’t have any reason not to succeed. If they start creating barriers for some people, while others find it so easy to collect their cards, it will be a bad omen.”

The Ohanaeze spokesman emphasised that because of the awareness that has been created, the people of the South East have woken up from their slumber and are prepared for the election, and so they would overwhelm whatever challenge that is thrown up.

Yerima Shettima, President, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, called on the security agencies to launch an investigation and unearth faces behind the ugly trend.

He said: “Why must Nigerians be going through this harrowing experience to collect PVCs? This is very sad and uncalled for. Some saboteurs may be at work. Security agencies should launch an investigation into this issue and those behind the ugly development should be arrested and prosecuted.

“This is a national embarrassment, more so as the elections are fast approaching. Some people or groups may be out to embarrass the federal government or INEC. But they should not be allowed to have their want to their way.

“I don’t want to believe that this is a ploy to disenfranchise some Nigerians because INEC has been up and doing. Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud has been doing a yeoman’s job, and he has been giving assurances to Nigerians that the commission will conduct a free and fair election, and we believe that the man will keep to his word.

“To ensure that millions of Nigerians are not disenfranchised, we implore INEC to extend the period for the collection of the PVCs.”

General Secretary, Yoruba Council of Elders, Kunle Olajide, called for a declaration of an emergency in order for eligible voters to get their PVCs

“This problem should not have arisen at all but now that we have it on our hand, we must now find a solution. Collection of PVCs is very important because without it there is no way voters can exercise their civic rights. The issue should be treated as a national emergency in order to ensure that no eligible voter that has registered is unduly denied the access to collect his PVC’s.

“I appeal to INEC to look into the issue with the seriousness it deserves, and part of the solution if for the Commission to extend the period of collection of the PVCs which I also gathered the agency has done already.”

Spokesman, Middle Belt Forum, Dogo Isuwa, wondered why “Nigerians must wait till the last minute before turning out to collect the cards? One is not ruling out the possibility of sabotage, but the many Nigerians won’t do what they are supposed to do at the right time until when it is almost late.

“The Federal Government, and INEC should investigate the reasons for the present development, but I will also urge Nigerians to change their attitude. There are still millions of Nigerians who are yet to collect their PVC’s for 2011and 2015 general elections which have been lying fallow in INEC offices over the years.”

Chief spokesperson of Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Tanko Yunusa described the slow pace in the Southern part of the country as a deliberate way of denying registered voters their right to vote.

“Well, the issue of the slow pace of PVC distribution in the South, we feel is a slight systemic way of denying most of our registered voters to get their PVCs. And we also said that INEC should really look into the ways in which they distribute the PVCs. Sometimes you come late into the offices and then people will queue from around 9am to around 4pm and yet they will be asked to move from point A to point B.

“I was reliably called by one of our members who couldn’t assess his PVC , he had to be directed from his village to go to Michael Okpara square to see if he could get that particular PVC. And remember also, in Osun, about 400 PVCs were uncollected and INEC said about 6.7M PVCs uncollected nationwide.

“But what we are saying is that it could have been easier for INEC to ensure that at every polling units, these PVCs are available while they display the registers so that people can easily pick up their PVCs and know that their PVCs are at that place when they come to collect them.

“Outside that, it will be difficult for people to get the PVCs going to the local government trying to access the PVCs. These are some of the challenges. We hope that INEC will yield to it and do the needful as quickly as possible.”

(SUN)