In keeping with its promise to ensure that every eligible voter is not disenfranchised, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently announced that the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would commence on December 12, 2022 and end on January 22, 2023 in all the 774 local government offices of the commission throughout the federation.
The announcement was made last week by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye. He disclosed that the commission held a retreat in Lagos with all the Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT from November 28 to December 2, 2022, where it finalised the procedure as well as the timetable for collection of the PVCs. Resolutions at the deliberations, according to him, informed the dates slated for the collection of the permanent voters’ cards across the country.
The commission also resolved to devolve PVC collection to the 8,809 registration areas/wards from January 6 to January 15, 2023. After January 15, 2023, the exercise will revert to the local government offices of the commission until January 22, 2023. However, the commission says that those who are unable to collect their PVCs at the local government offices of the commission can do so at the registration areas/electoral wards. For a seamless exercise, the commission urged all eligible and valid registrants to collect their PVCs from 9am to 3pm daily, including Saturdays and Sundays.
Similarly, all the RECs and Electoral Officers (EOs) had been enjoined to meet with stakeholders in their states and local government areas, including traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups and community-based organisations and intimate them on the arrangements for the collection of the PVCs. At the same time, the RECs and EOs were urged to set up help desks to assist registrants with complaints about their PVCs or with the PVC collection procedure for immediate redress.
It is cheering that INEC has finally given the timetable for the collection of the PVCs. The exercise was originally scheduled for November but was shifted, apparently due to challenges confronting the commission, including the destruction of its offices and facilities in some states by hoodlums. We urge it to ensure that the collection exercise is effectively implemented during the stipulated period. The electoral umpire must also ensure that the exercise is not interrupted or postponed. We say this because the collection of PVCs is very critical to the success and transparency of the 2023 general election. That is why INEC must make sure that all eligible voters collect their PVCs before the commencement of the 2023 election in February. On no account should any eligible voter be disenfranchised.
The collection of the PVCs will further underscore the preparedness or otherwise of the electoral umpire for the 2023 election. Getting the exercise right will encourage participation of voters in the election. This is a major challenge before the Mahmood Yakubu-led commission. Nigerians expect INEC to do the needful during the exercise. No Nigerian should be subjected to needless suffering simply because he wants to collect his permanent voter’s card. It is remarkable that the government has given the electoral umpire the necessary support for the smooth conduct of the 2023 polls. Instructively, INEC has assured Nigerians and the international community that it will conduct a free, fair and transparent poll in 2023. It even promised to make it the best election in the country. Therefore, it behooves on it to live up to expectation.
A successful collection of the PVCs will boldly demonstrate that INEC is ready for the conduct of the poll. Achieving that requires deployment of more personnel and security agents at the various collection centres.
The 2023 election is very important to all Nigerians. Everything must be done to ensure that it is transparent and reflects the wishes of the people. The success or failure of the exercise starts from the collection of PVCs. No Nigerian should be denied the opportunity to cast his vote during the election. Let INEC sensitise Nigerians more on the exercise. We enjoin all eligible voters to collect their permanent voters’ cards at the designated centres during the period for the exercise.
