Hues and cries over PVC distribution

The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Monday, received knocks and commendations over the nationwide distribution of Permanent Voter Cards. While some states recorded high turnouts of residents who visited collection centres, some states recorded low turnouts.

Bayelsa

In Bayelsa State, our correspondent gathered that INEC has yet to supply PVCs to some centres in the Yenagoa metropolis.

At the Yenagoa office of INEC, an official, who preferred to be anonymous, said the unavailability of PVCs was caused by INEC headquarters, Abuja.

Exonerating his office for the shortage of PVCs, the source said the PVCs brought from Abuja for Ward 5, for instance, started with Unit 002 instead of 001.

He added, “INEC headquarters did not include units 003, 004, 007, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014 and 015. INEC also omitted 018, 019 and 021

A resident, Mr. Funkeyi Thompson, was so embittered while narrating his ordeal.

He said, “I have been coming here repeatedly. It has been a case of come today, come tomorrow. INEC should stop deceiving people. They should tell us that the cards are not available.”

At a recent enlightenment forum organised by the state inter-agency consultative committee on election security, Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Barikor Kpagih, decried the unwillingness of residents to collect their PVCs.

Kpagih said only 51.3 per cent of residents had collected their PVCs in Yenagoa, stressing that a total of 54, 000 PVCs belonging to Yenagoa LGA were still with INEC despite the decentralisation of PVC distribution.

Akwa Ibom

The rate of PVCs distribution in Akwa Ibom State has reached 95 per cent.

Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state, Mr. Austin Okojie, said INEC achieved the success rate because it enjoined traditional rulers to ask their subjects to come for the collection of the PVCs.

He stated that Akwa Ibom people were not willing to come for the collection of the cards as the rate of collection stood at 60 per cent less than a month ago.

He revealed that the INEC had recovered 2,444 of the 5,175 PVCs that were snatched.

The INEC has distributed a total of 1,388,414 out of 1,464,780 PVCs it received in the state.

Delta

The rush for the collection of the permanent voter cards has continued to rise in Delta State, where voters have been besieging collection centres to pick up their cards.

Our correspondent noticed large turnouts at the several wards he monitored in Asaba, Oshimili-South and Okpanam in Oshimili-North local government areas of the state on Monday.

At Abu Ator Primary School off Ogbeogonogo Market, Asaba, voters were sorting out their cards before they were officially signed out to them.

In some cases, family members were even allowed to collect for their relations. One politician stormed the centre in anger, saying the INEC officials did not bring his card and that of his wife to his house.

Commenting on the distribution, the Administrative Secretary of INEC in Delta State, Mr. Nathan Owhor, told our correspondent that as at Monday, INEC had distributed 1,513,479 cards out of 1,909,741 cards for the state.

He also said 333,307 cards received from the continuous registration programmes have also been received and have been shared out to voters.

Lagos

Low turnout was recorded at some collection centers for Permanent Voter Cards in Lagos on Monday despite the extension by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

A visit to Anglican Girls Grammar School, Broad Street, Lagos Island on Monday, revealed that the hall used for the exercise was almost empty. The venue serves as a collection centre for Olosun wards 10 and 11 of Lagos Island-East Local Government.

As at the time our correspondent visited the center, less than 10 persons were seen queuing to collect their PVCs. An INEC official, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, explained that a public holiday is needed to encourage people to come and pick up their PVCs.

A lady who could not collect her PVC lamented that she had attempted several times without success and may not bother herself with collecting the card anymore.

Our correspondent, who visited a collection centre at the Government Technical College in Ikeja around 2.30pm on Monday, observed that there was a low turnout as thousands of Permanent Voter Cards were yet to be collected.

The centre has four ad hoc officials of the Independent Electoral Commission attending to voters, who registered at Ojodu-Berger, Omole and Agidingbi areas of the state.

Out of 10 persons, who came to collect their PVCs, only two persons were able to get theirs as of 3pm when our correspondent left the centre.

A resident, Mrs. Ruth Ekemode, said she was frustrated by the unavailability of the cards at the Ikeja collection centre.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Mohammed, an Okada rider, expressed delight on the collection of his PVC, saying, “This is my power to vote for candidates of my choice.”

Oyo

In Oyo State, residents of Ibadan trooped out on Monday to collect their Permanent Voter Cards at the designated wards.

On Thursday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Rufus Akeju, told eligible voters that PVCs would be distributed at the 351 wards in the state instead of the 33 local government secretariats.

Our correspondent who went round the city observed that thousands of people visited the wards in anticipation that their cards would be ready. A long queue of residents was seen at Mapo, Idi-Arere, Apata, Oluyole Estate, Oje, Ayeye, Ojoo, Omi-Adio and other parts of the city. Some of them told our correspondent that they were ready to wait until their PVCs were issued.

When our correspondent contacted the REC on the telephone, he confirmed that more cards have arrived in the state and that more than 90 per cent of registered voters would get their PVC at the end of the present exercise.

“We have to use the wards so that it will be faster. All registered voters have been told to go to the wards where they registered to collect their PVCs. By the time we finish with the distribution of the cards we have now, more than 90 per cent of the people would have got their cards. I am not sure that INEC will bring more cards to the state. Already, all registered voters with no issue will get their cards,” Akeju said.

Enugu

Registered voters in Enugu State were engaged in a frantic scramble to collect the permanent voter cards on Wednesday.

A visit to some collection centres on revealed that many of the cards were yet to be collected.

Our correspondent observed crowds of anxious prospective voters at the centres as they searched for their names on the list of those whose PVCs were ready.

But our correspondent learnt that some of the residents may not realise their hopes of participating in the election as some of those whose names were displayed on the list of those whose PVCs are available could not locate their cards, while some others who registered during the registration exercise did not find their names on the list.

The renewed desire to collect the cards may not be unconnected to promptings by politicians, including candidates, our correspondent gathered.

Niger

As election draws closer, many residents are yet to receive their PVCs in Niger State.

The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission, Niger State, Mohammed Abubakar, who spoke with our correspondent, said the commission has distributed 1.6 million PVCs out of the 2.4 million voter population of Niger State.

Abubakar, who said there was no problem in distribution of the PVCs, maintained that INEC officials are working longer hours to ensure that would-be voters collect their cards for election.

At the registration centre besides Galaxy International School, Minna, the reverse was the case as most residents could not find their PVCs with those that eventually collected theirs spending more than five hours.

Plateau

In Plateau, INEC said that it has so far distributed 1, 168,490 of the 1,359,805 PVCS it received.

INEC’s Deputy Director in charge of Voter Education, Mr. Osaretin Imahiyereobo, told our correspondent that the cards so far distributed were those that registered in 2011 and it represented more than 85 per cent of the PVCs received.

He said, “As at 30th January, the commission has distributed 1, 168,490 PVCs out of the 1,359,805 cards it received, representing more than 85 per cent.

Imahiyereobo said that the state commission has not received the PVCs of those who registered last year, assuring that an announcement would be made when the state INEC receives the cards.

Ekiti

Findings in Ekiti State showed that the officials of the electoral commission were not available at centres visited by our correspondents.

Specifically, officials of the commission were missing from the Permanent Voter Cards’ collection centres in Ekiti on Monday.

Findings by our correspondent, who visited some of the wards in Ado Ekiti revealed that the officials have abandoned their duty posts since the end of last week.

The Public Relations Officer of INEC in Ekiti, Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegesin, said some of the officials went on training, saying this accounted for their absence.

Gbadegesin confirmed that 498, 598 PVCs had been collected out of the 732,166 representing 68.1 %.

Cross River

A similar trend was seen in Cross State, where INEC officials were not seen in most of the PVC distribution centres visited in Calabar municipality and Calabar-South Local Government Area on Monday.

A registered voter, Mrs. Helen Uka, who visited one of the centres in Calabar South, said she had visited twice without success because she misplaced her Temporary Voters Card.

When contacted, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Okey Ezeani, said despite the training, some distribution officials were expected to remain at their centres.

Ezeani also disclosed that the commission had distributed over 80 per cent of the 1, 025, 760 PVCs in its possession.

Osun

Distribution of PVCs continued on Monday at the office of Independent National Electoral Commission’s office at Osogbo Local Government Area along Ilobu Road.

The INEC’s spokesperson in Osun State, Mrs. Adenike Tadese, told our correspondent in Osogbo that 151,001,301 permanent voter cards had been distributed as at January 30th, 2015.

According to her, 404,846 PVC are remaining to be collected.

Abia

INEC says it has distributed 1,020,281 out of the 1,241,257 Permanent Voter Cards released to Abia State.

This number represents 82.5% of the total PVCs sent to the state.

INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Godwin Enaboh, told The Punch that the commission was making frantic efforts to ensure no eligible voter in Abia, who registered for the PVC, was disenfranchised.

Kwara

Our correspondent, who visited some collection centres in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Monday, observed that there were a few registered voters at the centres who had come to collect their PVCs.

It was also observed that there were thousands of uncollected PVCs.

Some of the registered voters that spoke to our correspondent at the collection centres in Ilorin said they had the impression that there were long queues and so did not want to waste a whole day for the exercise. They also said that it was a pleasant surprise to them when they reached the collection centres and discovered that it was easy to collect the PVCs, adding that there were no long queues contrary to the impression they had.