Nigeria’s electoral Body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has decried the low turnout for the collection of the Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity at the commission’s office in Calabar, Anthonia Nwobi stated that as at Sunday, January 8, 2023 less than ten thousand PVCs had been collected from the batch of 2019.
Nwobi, who gave a breakdown of the number of PVCs collected so far and those still with the commission, indicated that challenges inherent in the distribution process could be directly linked to the persistent clamour for INEC to distribute the voters cards at the polling unit level rather than at the wards.
“As at January 8 2023, the total numbers of 2019 Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, collected were just 8,045 out of the 97,381 the commission received. Also, from the 2021/2022 fresh registration of PVCs we did in Cross River State totaling 233,481 cards only 68,073 have been picked up,” she said.
According to her, “we have low turnout for the collection of PVCs for people, who did transfers as well. The commission received 70,474 applications for transfer in 2021/2022. So far, only 17,824 PVCs have been collected. This is too poor despite all our efforts at sensitizing the public.”
Challenges
The head of Voter Education and Publicity stated that rather than go to the various wards as announced by INEC, the people were clamoring for the commission to take PVC distribution to the polling units.
“People are not coming out enough in spite of the sensitization and intense awareness campaigns. In that regard, we have gone to the extent of deploying town criers within the residential areas to inform the people. Yet, the turnout is not encouraging at all,” she lamented.
She further averred, “there is the clamour for INEC to still devolve the PVC collection centres to polling units even though we have moved to the wards. Another challenge we are experiencing is the pressure by some persons on INEC distribution officers to release PVCs of their spouses, children, friends, and so on, which is against INEC’s policy.”
Explaining further, “if we are seen to break our own policy on collection of PVCs, the people would turn around to accuse the commission of compromise or making attempts to favour politicians. So, rather than stick to the rules, the people are seriously mounting pressure on the distribution officers to allow them collect their relatives PVCs. It is not possible.
“Lastly, people are impatient and would not want to comply with the PVC collection procedures at the centres. Right now, we are appealing to our people to work with us, support our efforts. We have the cards from 2019, 2021 and 2022 fresh registrations ready for collection.
“People should, please go to the ward distribution centre for collection. If they comply with the procedures, they would be attended to within 15 minutes or less and they would be able to go back to whatever they were doing. Besides, we are doing all these to avoid stampede,” she added.
Confidence Okwuchi
