LP fails INEC for slow distribution of PVCs

Ahead of the February 25 presidential election, the Labor Party has sounded the alarm over the slow distribution of permanent voter cards by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The party insists that the electoral body must immediately and quickly deliver PVCs to Nigerians so that they can vote in the upcoming general election.

The chief spokesman for the Labor Party’s Presidential Campaign Committee, Dr Yunusa Tanko, raised the concern at a news conference in Enugu state on Wednesday.

He expressed concern that the electoral management body had less than two weeks to deliver the PVCs, noting that INEC seemed not to be concerned about the date.

He wondered how INEC could meet the deadline to ensure Nigerians get their PVCs within the stipulated period.

“INEC has less than two weeks to deliver PVC to Nigerians and the reports we are receiving from across the country about the ineptitude of its staff is discouraging and frustrating for most PVC collectors.

“We have received reports from all geopolitical areas of Nigeria and the messages are all the same, people are complaining about the snail’s pace at which PVCs are being distributed,” Tanko said.

He said people had less than two weeks to collect their PVCs.

“People go and queue for hours to collect their PVCs and out of about 500 in line, less than 20 of them can collect theirs.

“What kind of miracle is INEC going to pull off to ensure Nigerians get their PVCs within this short period if there is no sinister underlying motive,” said the PCC Labor spokesman.

He noted that although the process for collecting PVCs began on December 12 and was expected to end on January 22, many potential voters complained that the process was cumbersome.

“We have said it in different forums that under no circumstances should any Nigerian be denied their inalienable right to cast their vote,” he said.

Tanko urged INEC to take action on what he described as “deliberately designed weak operations” so as not to create the impression that it has a “hidden script unknown to the public.”

YAYA