24th February, 2018
A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has urged eligible Nigerians to take advantage of the on-going Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) by INEC to register and obtain their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).
Mrs Gift Omoniwa, Executive Director, Participation Initiative for Behavioral Change in Development (PIBCID) made the call on Saturday in Lokoja during a sensitisation road-walk.
Omoniwa who led other CSOs said the exercise was aimed at sensitising the people especially those who attained the age of 18 and above on the need to ensure all eligible voters were registered and ready to exercise their franchise upcoming General Elections in 2019.
“We are trying to encourage them to come out and register because their vote is their right.
“When they register they will get their PVC and on the election day, they will be able to participate in the electoral process,’’ she said.
Omoniwa pointed out that it is very important for all eligible voters to register so as to be able to democratically exercise their civic right.
She emphasised that every single vote counts because it is capable of determining a winner or a loser in a keenly contested election.
Also speaking, Mr Idris Miliki, Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) said it was only with the PVC that voters could vote for leaders of proven integrity.
He said that the importance of the voter card could not be overemphasised in the development of the country, describing it as the only weapon that the electorate can use to choose leaders of their choice.
“People are fed up with non-payment of salaries, dearth of good roads, ill-equipped hospitals and nose-diving education systems in most states and “This is the right time to make hay as we still have the sun.”
Miliki said through prayer for God to change the situation was good, INEC was not going to count prayer points, night vigils, and intercessions or consider the number of days of fasting that we did.
“That is why we are telling them now what they need to do. “By virtue of the Electoral Act and the 1999 constitution, it is the responsibility of the citizens to obtain their permanent voters’ cards.
Ahmed Biambo, Head of Voter Education and Publicity at Kogi office of INEC commended the CSOs for the sensitisation road-walk and urged all to be involved in the exercise.
He said that the exercise had commenced at Voter Registration (CVR) centres in each of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
Biambo said that over 200,000 PVCs were yet to be collected by their owners in the state and urged those who had not collected the PVCs to come forward and collect the cards at the INEC local government offices.
“They should not re-register. If you have a defaced PVC go to your electoral officer he will do a very brief process and they will order for the reprint.
“If you have a missing PVC, go to the Electoral Officer of the Local Government, they will replace it but if you go and reregister it is another issue, you risk the chance of missing the two”, he said.