On Monday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began handing out Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to its local government offices all over the country.
The News Organization of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who checked the assortment of the PVCs in FCT, reports that the activity started at the same time at INEC FCT base camp and its six region committee workplaces.
According to NAN, hundreds of registered voters were seen waiting at the INEC FCT state office’s gate for their voter cards to be collected.
Depending on the mode of registration—fresh registration, transfers, replacement requests, and others—the collection was carried out in FCT wards.
-Advertisement Several residents who spoke with NAN expressed conflicting opinions regarding the exercise.
Dare Ezekiel, a resident, praised the procedure for collecting his PVC, stating that it went well and without incident.
Mr Ezekiel who said that he gathered his card in under 30 minutes, notwithstanding, said there was the need to re-strategise the coordination of the group at the door.
Mr. Ezekiel stated, “The process had already been simplified by arranging the collection points into wards; if the crowd can be better coordinated, it would improve the process.”
Another inhabitant, Ewa Ogbonna, said he showed up at the commission a few minutes past 8 a.m. also, gathered his card before 9 a.m. with no pressure.
Mr Adebayo encouraged INEC to additionally work on the cycle by taking on electronic framework, for example, information base.
“INEC ought to enter each card detail into the data base in order to retrieve the PVCs.
If data were used in the process, “the time they are using to find an individual’s card would have been reduced,” Mr. Adebayo stated.
(1) Opara Johnson, another resident who had transferred his cards but had not yet received his card, advised INEC to organize the process. Dangote adbanner 728x90_2
According to Mr. Johnson, there was a large crowd, the process was slow, and some people jumped the line, denying those who arrived early access to the gate for collection.
This is discouraging. There is no assurance that everyone present today will receive their PVCs.
Mr. Johnson stated, “You don’t expect me to leave my business, come here to queue, and be unable to collect my PVC at the end of the day, and at the end of the day you still want me to come back tomorrow.”
He advised INEC to implement the practice of scheduling appointments via SMS for individuals to collect their PVCs on a specific date and time, as was done during the voter registration process.
An individual from the Public Youth Administration Corps, Sofiat Ohunene, who just gathered her card, likewise lauded the activity, saying it was organized and very much sorted out for smooth assortment.
Because individuals were not cooperating with INEC in following the procedure for collection, Miss Ohunene claimed that it took her more than 30 minutes to collect her cards.
I just got my PVC, and the whole process went very quickly. Despite the fact that some people are complaining, I believe the procedure will be completed faster tomorrow.
Miss Ohunene stated, “I am very happy that I am going to participate in the general elections in 2023.”
PVC will be collected from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, including Saturdays and Sundays, in all 774 local government offices across the country between December 12, 2022, and January 22, 2023.
From January 6 to January 15, 2023, the exercise is expected to be delegated to the 8,809 registration areas and wards.
The exercise will return to the commission’s local government offices until January 22, 2023, after January 15.
