As the 2023 general elections inch closer, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has provided insights into why some states are recording low turnout for the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) since the exercise kick-started.

The commission stated that most of the states with low PVCs collection rate were states where off-season governorship elections were conducted.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Outreach and Partnership Committee, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, stated this in an interview with journalists at the INEC dialogue with Nigerian Women Groups and Candidates, organised by the International Foundation for Electoral Support (IFES) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The parley had the theme, “2023 General Elections: Women’s Participation in PVC Collection and Election Day Processes”

Ajayi noted that apathy towards the collection of the PVCs were only noticeable in states where off-season governorship election took place including Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun States.

He said a reasonable number of registered voters residing in the listed states had collected their PVCs before the governorship elections were conducted.

The INEC national commissioner also blamed Nigerians’ ‘culture’ for last-minute rush for the current situation.

He said: “I was in Ekiti state during the Christmas period to monitor collection of people and observed that there was a low turnout and I immediately called the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Ekiti state. He told me what actually happened. You know in Ekiti we have had an election in 2022 and most people have collected their PVCs before that election. So, not many people have not done collected their PVCs, so I was satisfied with that explanation. And also, the same thing in Osun State. We had an election in 2022 and majority of people too have collected their PVCs. The same thing will happen in Anambra because they also had their governorship election in November 2021. Then again, Nigeria has this culture. We always wait to the last minute before we respond to issues in anything we do.

“During the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, we appealed to people to come out people, they didn’t until the last week, then we had this huge turnout. They started blaming INEC. We have a terrible culture of not coming out and that is why we have started advocating and appealing to everybody not to wait to the last minute.

“However, we envisage that people will still not come out until the last minute and that is why we were proactive in our actions and took a decision that we need to extend the deadline by one week. We are expecting a huge crowd in the last week and we will be able to manage it”.

Speaking on women participation in PVC collection and voting, he disclosed that out of the 93,469,008 registered voters for the 2023 general election, women voters constitute 44,414846 or 48 per cent, while the men constitute 49,054162 or 52 per cent and the youths (18-35) constitute 37,060,399 or 40 per cent.

By implication, he described Nigerian women as a major power block and a voting force to contend with in the forthcoming general elections.

The INEC commissioner, however stressed the need for women to translate the data into actual reality and voting force, maintaining that women need to rise above all socio-economic and political factors militating against them.

“This indeed is a herculean task, but, with the power of your PVC and the opportunity of the coming elections, there Is an avenue for women to change the narrative, speak with a united voice and grasp the mantle of leadership in their favour. It is my belief that the Nigerian women have so much to contribute to the socio-political and economic landscape of the Nigeria, that they simply have to hold their rightful position at the helms of affairs of our great country”, he added.

Speaking, acting director, gender and inclusivity department, INEC, Lakunuya Bello, expressed INEC’s commitment to ensure that the nation’s political landscape will continue to provide level playing field for participation of all citizens in the electoral process irrespective of gender.

While expressing concern that insecurity and culture in some parts of the country might contribute to voterapathy, she observed that the commission had put in place measures that will ensure that women are not disenfranchise on election day.

“INEC had identified that where culture would not allow women to come out and mingle with men, they should have the priority to have separate queues and women that are not nursing or elderly people should have priority to come to the front and be able to vote. These are some of the things that could be challenge for women to present themselves to come and vote even having their PVC. And again, of there is violence, they will be challenge but INEC is working in collaboration with the security agencies to ensure that there will be no violence.” (The Guardian)

•National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), May Agbamuche (left); Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and National Commissioner, Festus Okoye during the third quarterly meeting with media in Abuja… yesterday.

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