Nigerians in last minute rush for PVCs

Weekly Trust takes a look at the last-minute dash against the backdrop of allegations that the cards are being traded for cash by some desperate people. A message received recently by Nigerians via mobile phone read: “Collect your PVC: Your Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is available for collection from 8:30 am-5:30 pm including Saturdays at […]

Weekly Trust takes a look at the last-minute dash against the backdrop of allegations that the cards are being traded for cash by some desperate people.

A message received recently by Nigerians via mobile phone read: “Collect your PVC: Your Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is available for collection from 8:30 am-5:30 pm including Saturdays at your Registration Centre (Ward). NO PVC, NO VOTE – INEC.” Whether or not this will have the desired effect along with all other efforts made by the Independent National Commission (INEC) is left to be seen as March 28, the rescheduled date for the presidential and National Assembly elections draws closer.     
In Abuja, Abdulwasiu Raji Ismail, who works with an automobile company, had never made an effort to get his PVC, but now plans to travel to Jos where he registered to do so. “The crowd there, close to the University of Jos, discouraged me,” he said. “Frankly, I haven’t made any effort to collect it. However, I just feel this time INEC is ready to conduct a credible election and this is evident from the explanation the chairman gave recently.”
His case is completely different from that of Anas Abdullahi, a civil servant who said when he went to collect his PVC: “they said they had errors in their system and could not be sure if mine was among what was printed. I tried before the postponement and after, but all to no avail. But I don’t feel disenfranchised because I probably should have made more efforts, although I wasn’t able to do so due to my schedule. So I blame myself.”   
Some Nigerians eager to vote are challenged by the distance they need to travel to collect their PVCs. Jamila Adegoke Olayinka registered in Port Harcourt but relocated to Lagos to join her husband. She is one of those whose cards are ready yet they have been unable to collect them since collection by proxy is not allowed. “I feel disenfranchised. INEC should have made things a bit flexible so registered voters can vote anywhere,” Olayinka stated.
Amidst these are testimonies of those who have collected their cards. In Dass local government area of Bauchi State, a house-to- house distribution was carried out for those who failed to come out of their villages to collect their PVCs. Furera Bagel, a lecturer with Bauchi State University revealed that: “My whole family has collected, although some of my cousins complained that they couldn’t get theirs as it seems the cards were sent to another voting centre. They said they went there severally but were told their cards weren’t available.”
Not every part of the country experienced what took place in Bagel’s hometown. In Kaduna, Zainab Tanimu, a public servant, said she was not able to collect her PVC despite several visits to the collection centre at Abakpa Primary School in Kaduna North local government area.
“Officials of INEC promised to bring more. So, I’m hoping to go back by the end of the week,” Tanimu explained. This experience has given her some level of understanding of what might have gone wrong: “Any time I go to check for mine, there are so many people collecting theirs at the centre. So, I believe mine isn’t an isolated case. I‘m sure it will be rectified.”
Isaiah Benjamin, a journalist who registered at Barnawa shopping complex, polling unit 023, said he was informed by the INEC officials there that his PVC was missing.
“I have petitioned the INEC and will be taking legal action if they fail to provide me with my PVC before the elections because it is my civil right to participate in it,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, millions of Lagosians are yet to collect their PVCs as INEC staff dispersed from collection points for days. For instance, the point at Agidingbi Technical College, Lagos, has been deserted for a week now, yet every day, people throng there hoping to pick their cards. In February, some people who didn’t get their PVCs were asked to come back in the first week of March, but this week, when Weekly Trust visited the collection point, it was discovered that none of the INEC staff had come.
The scenario is similar in several other collection points around Lagos and Ogun states. A cross section of Lagosians expressed dissatisfaction with INEC over its inability to print all the PVCs.
Mr. Ben Eneremadu narrated his ordeal: “During the first public holidays by Lagos State, I went to Grammar School Ojodu Berger where I registered, went straight to check my name on the poster and found it. I was directed to join a queue where my name was supposed to be. I waited till it got to my turn and didn’t see my PVC. To clear my doubt, I proceeded to the second queue and it was the same. I complained to the assigned officers there and was asked to fill a form but I didn’t. I spent almost six hours on the first day,” he said.
“The second day of that holiday, I came back and did the same routine, filled the form and submitted. I spent about four hours on the second day. Sometime in February, I went back to the same venue but found nobody. My pain is that it takes time and it’s frustrating. Till date I have not seen my PVC,” Eneremadu lamented.
Mr. Adigwe Felix registered at Ajuwon High School, Ajuwon, Ifo local government area with TVC number PU: 27/07/06/020. Presently, he is yet to get his PVC after several attempts. The same is the case for his wife who registered with the number – PU: 27/07/06/020.
Engr Umeh Ikechukwu Christian registered at Akute bus stop where there are two polling stations with numbers 16 and 17. “I visited the first before 14 February, but couldn’t get my PVC. I checked the documents of both polling units, but my name couldn’t be found. I was asked to check later by the officials there,” he told Weekly Trust. “Following the postponement of the elections, I went back on 18th of February and the story was the same in the same polling unit I registered and voted in 2011 general elections. I did not at any point register twice and don’t know why my name should be missing now,” the engineer added.  
One of our reporters who registered at Omole, in Ojodu, was told to check first week of March, when the remaining PVCs that were being printed by INEC would be supplied, but INEC officials have not appeared for over five days.
There is a rush for collection of PVCs in Enugu where some people are yet to collect theirs. Mr. Victor Ezeani, 43, said he registered in Bida, Niger State, although he is an Igbo from Awgu, Enugu State. During the registration of voters he visited his relation who resides in Bida and because he was afraid that he might not meet up with the registration in the east by the time he returned, he decided to register at Bida to enable him have the voters card.
It however, turned out he made a fundamental mistake of not applying for transfer of his registration from Bida to Enugu when he finally returned to his home state. “Since I don’t have the PVC, I will not bother to vote in the election,” he said regrettably.
But the story is different for Nneka Nnadi, 32, a student of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She has not been able to collect her PVC owing to time constraint. Aside studying, she works with a construction company. “But I must collect my PVC unfailingly this week,” she informed.
Again, just like in Lagos, INEC officials are nowhere to be found in some collection points in Enugu.  This is the story of 84-year-old Anthony Chimezie who hails from Ezinihitte local government area of Imo State. “I made several efforts to get the PVC in the past but those in charge of issuing them were not on seat. But now, it seems they are willing and ready to give out the PVCs, so I will have to go back there even if I may not cast my vote on that day because of the frustration the government is causing in the country,” the octogenarian said.
In Ogun State, there is the case of people either seeing their names on record without their voter cards or not seeing their names at all. Olatunji Olu Akindele, a professional photographer from Okeyeke, Abeokuta, is one of such persons. He registered at Imo Methodist School, under Abeokuta South local government area, but was yet to get his card. “I saw my name, but no PVC, I wrote down my name and they said we should come back, since then nothing yet,” he explained.
Ibitoye Oladipo, a property consultant and farmer who resides at Sango in Ado-odo, Ota local government area, did not find his name on the INEC list. “I have been to their office about three times, yet they keep saying, they will do something about it. I’m getting frustrated and fed up with the system,” Oladipo said.
Meanwhile, the electoral commission in the state said about 550 PVCs belonged to dead people. The Ogun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Timothy Ibitoye, said this was discovered shortly after the names of those yet to collect their PVCs were displayed. “We have gone to all the local government areas from polling unit to polling unit to write out the names of those who have not collected their cards and during our investigation they gave us the figure of those who are dead in all the local government areas of the state,” Ibitoye said.
He noted that community leaders also assisted when they saw the list of those that were yet to collect their PVCs: “They identified some of those names as deceased persons.”
Reacting to the conflicting reports over the number of registered voters and the number of the PVCs collected so far in the state, as well as those distributed, the REC declared that: “the commission in the state had received 1,370,340 and had distributed 860,076 PVCs.” He also clarified the controversy surrounding the correct figure of the registered voters: “The total number of registered voters in the state is 1,795,794 and not 1, 829,534 as published by some newspapers. If we base the percentage of PVCs on registered voters, we have received 63 percent, but, if we base it on the figure of the registered voters, it is 47 percent. We are expecting 425,454 PVCs from Abuja and the PVCs yet to be collected as at date are 510,264,” he revealed.
As at Thursday, a total of 495, 750 PVCs were yet to be collected from the various local government centres across the state, while a total of 874, 740 were distributed, giving a total of 1, 370, 340 received in the state, out of the 1,795,794 registered.
Reacting to the last minute rush by many Nigerians to get their PVCs, the national publicity secretary of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said Nigerians usually do not respond or react to an event until the closing date draws nearer.
Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Comrade Zikirullahi Ibrahim, corroborated Okechukwu and complained about how collection centres will now be over-crowded: “Ultimately, the crux of the matter is about trying to build an active and conscious citizenry that does not wait to be prodded to go in search of instruments that would enable it perform its civic duties.”
The director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan said: “While acknowledging that some Nigerians have a penchant for doing things at the last minute, this window of opportunity must not be missed. The media, civil society and political parties must rise to the occasion to drive the move for collection. The PVC in these elections represents the people’s power. Nigerians must realise that their destiny to decide whichever path they want the country to tow is in their hands. This election with the introduction of PVC and card reader is lending real credence to one person, one vote.”
Hassan however, added that the PVC collection can never be 100 percent, especially as some people are not interested in collecting them or even voting.
Spokesman of INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu said: “As at March 4, by our records more than 80 percent of PVCs have been collected. Broken down this is: 55, 220, 874, giving a total percentage of 80.24.”
He added that: “When the elections were originally scheduled for February 14 and 28, between February 1 and 6, two million PVCs were collected.”
Idowu who spoke to Weekly Trust by telephone on Thursday, however, admitted that: “It is true that INEC has not delivered about one million PVCs, by the weekend, we should do so.”
He also clarified that for some who are unable to get their voter cards, it is because their biometrics were not taken, adding that some people registered in 2011 and have the temporary voter cards but did not vote or didn’t have their biometrics taken.  As a result, they are not on the INEC data base and will have to wait until after the elections for their cases to be resolved because the PVCs produced were according to the information on the data base.