As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to registrants at the ward level on Friday, prospective voters, especially youths besieged the various wards in Akure, to collect their PVCs.
A visit around the wards in Akure South Local Government Area of the state by our correspondent, witnessed a good turnout of prospective voters to collect their PVCs.
However, despite the large turnout, the number of officials of the commission who were on ground attending to the crowd was not sufficient which led to some prospective voters leaving the centre unattended.
Some of the prospective voters told our reporter that they have spent about three to four hours waiting to pick up their cards, while some said the officials informed them that their PVCs had not arrived at the collection centres.
One of the prospective voters at Methodist Primary School, Gbogi, ward 3, Abayomi Babalola, explained that he spent about three hours before he was able to collect his PVC and said “the process is not too tidy as the officials failed to make adequate provisions for the smooth collection of the cards.
“If you look around, you will noticed that we are not too many but we are not orderly and it makes the process to be cumbersome, while it takes longer time. The officials should design a way to make the process easier and the crowd should be controlled”
Also at ward 6, in Townhall, Oda town of Akure South local government, Mrs Agnes Johnson, said she had spent about two hours on the queue only to be told that her card is not ready.
She said “INEC should devise a means of getting to prospective voters to inform them if their cards are ready, rather than coming here to waste time and energy to find out that the card is not ready.
“Since they have our contact number, they should send text messages to inform us about the card. I have been here for two hours but found out that my card is not ready”
She also called the commission to put in place adequate security, noting some hoodlums tried to hijack the process.
Also, Mr Adeleke Sikiru St Anthony Primary School, Araromi/Isolo Ward 10, described the process as very frustrating and said, “I have been here for hours to get the PVC but this place is very rowdy.
” I have registered for hours but still waiting for my turn. If we are orderly the process will be smooth, we are less than 60 here but people are always in a hurry.”
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