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From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Movement for the Election of Nigeria President of Igbo Extraction (MENPIE) has lamented the alarming number of uncollected Voter’s Cards at Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices, particularly in the South East region.
The group said that more than 2 million PVCs were yet to be collected by their respective owners in South East, yet they are the least registered zone in Nigeria.
The National Conveners of MENPIE Mr Vincent Ezekwueme made a disclosure during their sensitization and mobilization of the citizenry to collect their voters’ card tagged “without voters card you have no business with 2023 general elections, urged the citizens to go get their PVC in order to be eligible to vote in 2023 general election.
“It is of prime importance to note that without a voters’ card, you are a docile follower and a threat to our democracy. Let us see it as a patriotic, national obligation and duty to enthrone good governance.
“Regrettably South East political leaders who are not living up to expectations are therefore encouraged to see 2023 as a clarion call for the concept of ” Nkea bu Nkeanyi ” and to renew their minds as their non-challant and indifferent attitude leaves much to be desired and it is a great disservice to the Igbo nation.
“When we called on the governors to close markets and declare public holidays to enable citizens to obtain their voters’ card, it was ignored, yet Lagos and Kano, which have the highest number of voters declared public holidays that encouraged and enabled their citizens to register for their PVC.
“Wise people do the best and first things first. It is pertinent to note that politics determines and drives the socioeconomic, religious and cultural life of every nation and power is where actions depend.
“INEC should devise strategic methods and marshal plan to dispatch voters card to their respective owners. They should embark on vigorous enlightenment campaigns to educate and mobilize citizens on the ineluctable need to collect their PVC, which is the only weapon to vote and be voted for.
“INEC should collaborate with traditional rulers, civil society organisations, religious leaders and president general of town unions in finding more convenient and less cumbersome means of PVC collection by registrants.
“Elections should be all-inclusive for it to be credible, free, fair and generally acceptable hence, we reiterate our appeal for an extension of CVR exercise in tandem with electoral act and desires of the majority of the citizenry,” Ezekwueme stated.
