INEC offices witness rush hour for PVC collection deadline

Afta Nigeria election body di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), extend  di deadline for di collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by one week from 22nd  to 29th January di hope of many pipo bin rise say dem go fit vote.

But e be like say many pipo go dey disappointed as di number of pipoo wey neva collect dia PVC still high.

BBC Pidgin visit di collection centre for some Local goment area for Lagos State and di experience no dey too go well for some prospective voters.

Some pipo dey happy as dem collect dia cards without stress while odas dey lament about di stress dem need to go through before dem fit collect dia own. 

Tori of ‘extortion and trust’

For di Inec office for Alimisho council di tori na different experience for different pesin.

For Hope Fred, her experience wit Inec officials no dey good at all, she say officals dey rude to her and dem no even ready to expalin to her why she suppose come back for 2026 to register for anoda card sakeof say she lost di previous one.

Some civil servants wey goment give free day to collect dia PVCs say di aim don dey defeated as dem no dey able to get di card.

"I expect some level of respect and politness from dis officials as a public servant, especially to high level officer like me", one of dem tok.

One 22 year old lady wey her name be Damilola tok say she bin don visit di Inec office for three different times yet officials say dem no fit find her card.

“As I dey so, I sure say I no go come back here to request for my voters card, e be like say dem just wan frustrate us so we no go vote. Dis wahala too much I no even care again if I vote or not”, Damilola tok.

Anoda man,  Hafis Oluwaseyi also tell BBC Pidgin say im no go fit vote for di coming election sake of say Inec say dem no fit find im informate for dia data base so e no go fit get PVC.

“I no even understand wetin Inec dey tell me,  dem say make I come back afta election to register for anoda PVC say my informate no dey dia system. Dem say na only pipo wey register last year dem dey distribute to, I come ask dem question but dem no ansa me” Hafis tok.

E add say im feel say goment no wan make di youth exercise dia voting right and e dey make am feel bad about im experience.

For one Kelvin Dennis ugochukwu di experience dey totally different, e say im no spend up to 20 minutes for Inec office bifo dem find im PVC give am.

Anoda woman wey wan dey anonymous accuse Inec officials of extortion.

“Dem first tell me say my PVC no dey say make I come back afta election, I come try anoda means na den di man say make I no worry say e go fit help me as e don dey help pipo”.

“Wen e find di card e no give direct e pass am to one lady wey say make I drop sometin, di man come beg am say make she give me my PVC”. 

Extortion dey unacceptable

Most of di Inec officials for Alimosho local council no gree tok to tori pipo. Dem say dem no get permisison to tok.

All attempt to reach di oga of Inec for Lagos Olusegun Agbaje ontop wetin dey happun no work - e no gree ansa im fone calls.

However, Inec bin tok for one statement say dem dey investigate allegations say Inec  officials and “some lie-lie voters’ wey dey try find way around di  process for some of di collection centres.

“Those wey dey culpable go face disciplinary action and/or prosecution,” Inec head of voter education, Festus Okoye bin tok.

Wit less dan one month to di general Election and many pipo especially di youth wey still neva kollect dia PVC, e don show say no be evri registered voter go dey able to exercise dia voting power for di coming polls. 

PVC dey important during election

PVC na Permanent Voters Card.

Dis na di identification wey registered voters dey cari go polling stations.

According to INEC timetable, Presidential and National Assembly elections go happun on 25th February 2023.

Na di ID card for dem to fit vote di during general elections.

E dey store and protect informate about di holder like biometric data.

Dat na informate wey include physical features, thumbprints among odas.

Na card reader, dem fit use to get di informate wey di card dey hold.

 

Every registered voter must present his or her Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) at the polling unit on election day, before he/she can be allowed to vote.

No #PVC

No voting

The public should disregard the insinuation that you can vote without your PVC. pic.twitter.com/xFCFIGsyK5

— Rotimi L Oyekanmi (@rot1930) January 26, 2023