PVC: PDP insists on 100% distribution

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) said yesterday that only 100 per cent compliance in the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) by the Inde­pendent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC) would give the forthcoming general elections credibility.

Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO, Femi Fani-Kayode declared, while endorsing polls’ shift by INEC.

The former Aviation Minister, while applauding the courage of the electoral body for the postponement of the elec­tions, advised INEC to ensure a credible election that would produce results that would be acceptable to all.
Fani-Kayode said: “Our belief is an­chored on the international and domes­tic desire for credible polls. We there­fore, encourage and support INEC to do all that they need to do to ensure that we have a credible election that will pro­duce results that are acceptable to all.
“We are constrained to point out the fact that one of the things that INEC must do is to ensure that it establishes a strategy and process that will result in the equitable and prompt distribution of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to all registered voters who have not col­lected them up till this time.
“The credibility, acceptability and success of the forthcoming elec­tions are therefore, dependent on two things: first, 100 per cent or just below 100 per cent distribution of the PVCs to eligible registered voters so that no-one or no group of people are disenfran­chised and secondly, the deployment of adequate security forces before, during and after the elections, who will ensure that the electorates are able to go out to perform their civic responsibility of vot­ing on the election days. These are our legitimate and genuine concerns,”he said.
On the feasibility of 100 per cent distribution of voters’ cards, the former minister, however, said that “ a substan­tial compliance, close to 100 per cent is possible. In fact, that would be a plus for INEC. They must ensure that every eligible Nigerian gets his PVC and that he/she isn’t disenfranchised.
“On our part, we will increase advo­cacy and sensitisation on the PVC col­lection because we are not comfortable with the fact that as at the time INEC announced the shift in election dates, 34 per cent of eligible voters have not been able to access their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).”
The PDPPCO called for collabora­tion of the main opposition party, the All Progreessives Congress (APC) in ensur­ing effective distribution of the PVCs.
“Our campaign organisation will be ready to collaborate with the APC Presi­dential Campaign Organisation to sup­port the process of PVCs’ collection so that no part of the country is seen to have been deliberately manipulated into a position of disadvantage through low percentage rate of PVCs distribution and collection whilst the other part of the country has recorded between 80 and 98 per cent collection.”