TheCable

Some residents of the federal capital territory (FCT) were, on Tuesday, unable to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Garki, Abuja.

The process of PVC collection began on Monday across the country.

When TheCable visited the INEC office in Garki, many people were seen standing outside.

Ayuba Sunday, one of those waiting, told TheCable that the INEC officials stopped people from going into the office at 11am.

INEC had earlier said Nigerians can collect their PVCs from 9am to 3pm daily.

“I came here yesterday as well; they said they had closed. Even people that managed to go inside were not attended to. Today, they started by 9am and by 11am, they closed the gate. We waited and by 3pm, they said they have closed. I’m tired. I think the government needs to come in,” he said.

“I didn’t go to work today because of this. I’ll likely not go tomorrow as well. 2023 is special to us. Even if they don’t give me tomorrow, I’ll keep coming because I must get my PVC.”

Meanwhile, Kabiru Bala, an assistant electoral office, said the process was suspended because of the crowd’s refusal to be orderly.

“We have eight wards here. When I came in the morning, I addressed them and said since yesterday was too chaotic, we should have an easier method. Since they had written their names, I said we will call their names and they will queue according to their wards,” he said.

“They were coming in 10 at a time. When we did eight wards — that was 80 people and it was perfect. I went to train corpers and by the time I came back, I don’t know what happened. Some people came that they were in a hurry and didn’t want to join the queue.

“I came back from the training with five corps members to assist with the process. People had blocked the gate and refused to make way.

“They are the problem of themselves. They are rowdy and today is wasted now. They have refused to do things rightly.”

LAGOS COLLECTION CENTRE

When TheCable visited the INEC office in Ikeja, Lagos, prospective voters sat under a canopy provided by the commission.

Speaking with TheCable, Michael Peter, a resident who had collected his PVC, said the process is smooth.

“I commend the commission for this process. I came in around 8am and dropped my name. This is 11am and I just collected my card. The process is smooth and orderly, but they need to speed up the process so the compound won’t be crowded,” he said.

TheCable also observed that special attention was given to nursing mothers and the elderly.