Adults of voting age in Nigeria have been urged to get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in preparation for the 2023 general election.
Prospective voters in Nigeria should not sit on the fence but must participate actively in the nation’s electoral process.
It is a subtle sensitisation campaign that educated members of the Nigerian society should see their exposure, as enough reasons to take part in the electoral process and as well convince friends, relatives and their family members to register for their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and as well avail selves the rare opportunity of participating in the forthcoming 2023 election.
It is also germane to note that, the Almajiri has a PVC; Mai Shayi has a PVC; Mai Barrow has a PVC; Mai Debino has a PVC; Mai Gworo has a PVC; Gateman has a PVC; Onion & Tomato sellers have PVCs; Shoe shiner has a PVC; Sugarcane seller has a PVC; Bus drivers/conductors have PVCs, and Motor park Agberos have PVCs, but you (a student or a graduate) with all your education and exposure still don’t have PVC.
Despite the progress Nigeria has made in its democratic quest in the last two decades, there has been a general lack of interest among Nigerians in exercising their civic responsibility and voting to elect those who lead them.
In Nigeria, it is common for people to feel nonchalant and general lack of interest in the electoral process.
Based on observation from recent off-season elections, there is increasing concern among stakeholders that the situation may not be different in the 2023 general election if urgent action is not taken.
A vivid picture of the enormity of the problem could be seen in the 2019 general elections where incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected with the backing of 15.2 million voters, his main rival Atiku Abubakar also scored 11.3 million votes.
President Buhari had 56 percent of the total votes cast, in a country with a population of close to 200 million people, including more than 84 million registered voters.
However, observers say that the 15.2 million votes hardly qualify as a huge mandate. The 35 percent voter turnout was down from 44 percent in the 2015 general election and down from the 54 percent turnout in 2011.
A similar poor turnout of voters was noticed in last year’s July 24 Lagos council election in which the total number of votes cast was 678,324 out of over 6 million registered voters in the state.
It is because Nigerians don’t believe their votes would count; what is the rationale for voting and at the end of the day, the result is changed? If we are serious. And, the way forward is for the Federal Government to assure Nigerians that their vote would count and that INEC would be allowed to do its job before 2023, else, it would be disastrous.
Regretably, people say they are not interested in getting the PVC because they are not sure their votes would count; that they are not sure if hired thugs would not disrupt the election; that they are not sure the security situation in the country would allow for any election in 2023, or that the elections would be rigged.
People have lost confidence in the process here, they see voting as a waste of time and there is nothing to really motivate voters.
We therefore, urged all Nigerians to arm themselves with their PVCs, urging those yet to get theirs to make all necessary efforts to do so.
Furthemore, we urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work out ways to eliminate challenges and constraints experienced by many citizens in reaching the designated centres nationwide to register.
