2023: Labour Party says INEC Staff frustrating release of PVCs

Nigeria’s Labour Party has accused INEC staff of frustrating and sabotaging the release of Personal Voter Cards (PVC) for the 2023 General Election.

This was disclosed in a statement by Dr Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Committee (LP-PCC).

He said the Labour Party had received reports of INEC staff ineptitude which he says is disheartening and frustrating to most PVC collectors. Labour’s Party candidate for the 2023 election is Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State.

INEC Ineptitude: Tanko stated that with less than 2 weeks for the PVC exercise to be completed, most Nigerians are yet to receive their PVCs as INEC staff frustrate the process, he said:

• “INEC has less than two weeks to deliver PVCs to Nigerians and the reports we are receiving nationwide about the ineptitude of its staff is disheartening and frustrating most PVC collectors.
• “We have received reports from all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria and the messages are all the same, people complaining of the snail pace at which the PVCs are being distributed.”

Frustrated voters: Labour Party added that in some wards, less than 20 out of 500 voters are assured their PVCs, after queuing for hours.

• “People go and queue for hours to collect their PVCs and out of about 500 on the line, fewer than 20 of them are able to collect theirs.
• “What kind of miracle is INEC going to perform that will ensure Nigerians get their PVCs within this short period if there’s no sinister motive underneath.”

Right to Vote: Tanko also disclosed that it is the right of every Nigerian to cast his/her ballot, citing that many voters complained of the cumbersome PVC collection process.

• “We have said it in different fora that on no account should any Nigerian be denied his inalienable right to cast his ballot,”

He urged INEC to take action on the  “deliberately designed weak operations“ so as not to create the impression that it has a “hidden script unknown to the public“.

What you should know

The devolution of PVC Collection to the wards commenced on the 6th January 2023, and all validly registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs are encouraged to seize the opportunity of the devolution to the wards to do so. INEC said:

• “After the 15th of January 2023, the exercise will revert to the Local Government Offices of the Commission until the 22nd of January, 2023.
• “All eligible and valid registrants can collect their PVCs from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily, including Saturdays and Sundays.”