TheCable

Prospective voters, on Friday, trooped to registration areas/wards across the country to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, on Thursday, announced that it would devolve PVC collection to the 8,809 registration areas/wards from January 6 to January 15, 2023, after which the exercise will revert to the LGA offices until January 22 when the process will end.

TheCable visited wards in Lagos, Abuja, and Kogi on Friday to observe the process.

At around 10am in Methodist Primary School, Oshodi, Lagos, many applicants were waiting in a queue to get their PVCs.

The collection was very slow as only one INEC official and a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were attending to the crowd.

Some applicants were, however, asked to return on subsequent dates because their PVCs could not be found among those available.

Miles away in GSS Gwarimpa Life  Camp in the federal capital territory (FCT), TheCable observed that the exercise was peaceful and organised.

In Lokoja, Kogi state, INEC officials told TheCable that two wards were merged and moved to another location near the palace of the Maigari of Lokoja.

On getting to the said location at around 12pm, INEC officials were found to have set up camp under a tree in front of the palace, with only a few prospective voters around.

LAGOS

An INEC official sorting voters card at African Church Primary School, Idi-Agbon. Ifako-Ijaiye LG. Lagos

Ifako/Ijaye, Fagba junior Grammar school (Unit 5)

St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Alausa. Ikeja

Methodist Primary School, Oshodi/Isolo

Muslim Mission Secondary School, Mushin

Ojuwoye Primary School, Mushin

Anifowoshe, Ward 1, Ikeja LGA

Ijegun Egba Primary School, Ijegun, Amuwo Odofin LGA

LOKOJA

Crowther Memorial Secondary School, Lokoja. Registration area: Lokoja A

Under a tree opposite the Maigari palace in Lokoja. Registration area: Lokoja C.

ABUJA

An official sorting out PVCs at Government Secondary School, Gwarimpa, Life Camp, FCT

A prospective voter displays her card after collection at GSS, Gwarimpa, FCT

Additional report by Ibrahim Mansur, Kunle Daramola, Ayodele Oluwafemi, Deji Owolabi, Jesupemi Are, Idris Shehu, and Stephen Kenechukwu