By Collins Osuji, Owerri
Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD) has bemoaned poor turnout of valid registered voters in the ongoing Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise in the South East.
In a statement signed by the group’s leader, Obinna Nwagbara, the civil society group attributed the development mainly on inability of political parties and other stakeholders to intensively sensitise, encourage party members, as well as the electorate to participate actively in the exercise.
The group said it regretted that some registrants were not able to obtain their PVCs due to error in the process of revalidation of lost PVCs, which, according to it, should have been replaced during the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
YSAD expressed worry that over 10 million new registrants were captured by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in addition to those who replaced, revalidated or renewed their voter cards due to change in status, data or other personal information during the last CVR exercise, yet, so far, turnout for collection has been abysmally poor.
The group said: “From monitoring and fieldwork carried out by YSAD between January 6 and 7 at Aba North and South councils of Abia State, it is obvious that the exercise is not impressive so far.
“There are still many uncollected PVCs left at INEC’s vault at Aba, where YSAD monitored the ongoing exercise in over six wards in Aba North and South councils. Only a few persons were seen in places like Abia State Polytechnic; Okigwe Road Primary School; Market Road Primary School and other centres where the collection exercise is going on.
“YSAD urges government agencies, civil society groups, political parties, media houses and practitioners, as well as other stakeholders to begin sensitisation to boost PVC collection.
“Traditional rulers, local authorities, political and religious leaders are enjoined to also do the needful by encouraging their subjects, as well as their members to perform their civic duties as the PVC is the only criterion for voting during the coming elections.”
Source: The Guardian
