PVC REGISTRATION: THOUSANDS BESIEGE IKORODU INEC OFFICE, DEMAND EXTENSION OF EXERCISE

As the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC winds up its two (2) weeks extension of the on-going continuous voter’s registration exercise, Nigerians, particularly, residents of Ikorodu Division have appealed to the electoral body to consider another extension of the exercise, due to the numerous challenges being faced by residents who daily thronged the only INEC office covering the entire five LCDAs and one local government area of Ikorodu Division.

Some of the residents, who spoke to Ikorodu Oga Radio at the at the Ikorodu GRA INEC office laments the distance, unfriendly environment and slow pace of registration as some of the reasons for the call for another extension of the exercise.

Many of the residents who spoke to Ikorodu Oga Radio were unanimous in their call for the electoral body to consider an extension of the closing date to enable more residents register and collect their PVCs ahead of the 2019 general elections.

As at 5am on Wednesday, 28th August 2018, over 200 residents have registered their presence on the INEC register. But, surprisingly this number grew into about 1,000 by 9am, within barely four hours interval.

Mr Dami, who was our first respondent laments the avoidable stress residents are meant to go through, due o the location of the INEC office. According to him, ‘Coming here is too stressful and the process is not favourable at all. We want INEC to not only extend the closing date but also make the process easier for the people’.

Another resident, Mr Ayo who spoke on the long queue stressed that, ‘a lot of people have not been able to collect their PVCs. I left my office to come here today and, if I am unable to complete the registration exercise today, I may not have the opportunity to vote in 2019’, he lamented.

Similarly, another resident who gave his name simply as Alfa disclosed the pains, considering the fact that he had to travel from Oshodi to Ikorodu for him to get registered.

While we hope that the INEC will heed the call of these Nigerians for an extension of the PVC registration exercise, many Nigerians have condemned the electoral body for making the exercise difficult. They suggested that the PVC registration exercise should be a continuous exercise that should not be restricted to election seasons.

Others were of the opinion that the exercise should be devolved into wards and polling booths across the country, to enable Nigerians register and collect their PVCs as at when convenient for them.

The residents, who besieged the INEC office raised fears of being disenfranchised in the forthcoming 2019 general elections, if INEC refuses to consider another extension of the exercise.

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