There were mixed feelings of excitement, anger and apathy across the country yesterday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) kept to its pledge to devolve the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the 8,809 registration areas/wards in the country.
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR POWER: Nigerians troop out to collect their Permanent Voter Cards in Abuja as INEC devolves distribution to the ward level across the country… yesterday.• Double Registration, Loss Of Slip Causing Hitches, Say INEC Officials
“All those that applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs can collect their PVCs at the registration area/wards during this period and the same thing applies to those that registered prior to the 2019 general election and are yet to collect their cards. When The Guardian visited the LEA Primary School, Dutse Alhaji Ward, in the Bwari Local Council, some registered voters expressed concern about the slow distribution of the cards.
“I was expecting them to have more workers in there. Even when they don’t have more workers, at least they should make it specific for each person to come on a particular day. If you are for collection, you stand on this side, if you are for transfer, you stand on another side.”An INEC official at the polling unit, who pleaded anonymity, blamed the residents for the slow distribution. According to him, many people did not have their registration slips.
On her part, Ade Eze expressed apprehension over the absence of security agents at the collection points. The situation was different at the Garki Area 10 Ward, as INEC officials were seen waiting for eligible voters to come and collect their cards. Scores of registered voters were seen at the Magaji Gari Ward of Kaduna Central, where those whose names were found on the registered voters lists of INEC received their PVCs.
In Imo, the exercise witnessed low turnout apparently due to the insecurity in some parts of the state. The Guardian went round some wards in Owerri, the state capital, to witness the exercise and discovered that very few people came out to collect their PVCs. There was also low turnout of registered voters at the various wards in Ado- Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The residents who spoke in confidence said it took them less than five minutes to pick up the cards, while some said they were unable to collect their cards because of wrong information supplied to INEC staff. At the Ukwu Orji, Government House, Ward 8, comprising Agu Awka, Ifite and Government House Area, the process was seamless.
However, at Nnobi, a visibly angry man who would not give his name, said: “I won’t collect it. Politicians don’t remember us. I won’t go there to waste my time standing in the sun. I am highly disappointed, after going to the local council office and searching without trace of my PVC, how am I even sure that it is now available.”
The arrangement of the whole process is very poor. How can just two people attend to about 1,000 people? It is just not normal.”
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