The South-East of Nigeria continues to be in a state of uncertainty as Nigerians get ready to choose new leaders in the upcoming general elections.
This is because some zone residents are unable to pick up their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) as a result of attacks on the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to kuryaloaded, the unidentified gunmen creating havoc in the Southeast frequently attacked INEC offices in the area, resulting in the loss of PVCs and other crucial paperwork.
In the past four years, at least 50 attacks against INEC facilities have been reported across 15 States, according to data released by the commission two weeks ago.
The majority of the recent attacks have been in the Southeast, and the daredevil gunmen have vowed that no elections would be held there in 2023 as a result.
With eleven attacks, Imo State had the most nationwide, followed by Enugu with five, Ebonyi with four, Abia with four, and Anambra with two.
Twenty of the incidents were reportedly arson-related, 26 were vandalism-related, and four were allegedly both.
On Saturday, kuryaloaded learned that many Southeast residents who had already registered for the PVC were unable to pick up their cards.
It was discovered that the PVCs damaged during the attacks had not been replaced, which could result in many voters in the area losing their voting rights in February and March.
A resident of Imo State who gave only his first name, Godwin I.K., to our correspondent claimed that all attempts to pick up his PVC from the INEC office in the state’s Oru West Local Government Area had failed.
“We have been working to collect our PVC to participate in the upcoming election despite the security situation in our area, but we have not yet seen cards.
“I’m not sure if the most recent attack also destroyed our cards. In order to ensure that we are not left behind in the upcoming elections, INEC should take every possible measure, he said.
In a separate interview with kuryaloaded, Goodluck Ibem, President General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, expressed regret that many people might lose their rights if the commission did not act quickly to solve the issue.
There are difficulties in some areas where gunmen attacked the INEC offices, he added, adding that the commission has been unable to replace the cards that had been damaged. There is an immediate action to be taken.
He bemoaned the minimal participation in the collecting of PVCs in several areas of the region due to the attackers’ attacks being feared.
“People have been going out to get their PVCs, but many of them aren’t participating in the workout,” he said. I simply want those who haven’t yet collected would do so before the deadline passes.
“It is really concerning that there are so many PVCs in the INEC office that have not yet been picked up by their owners. The Southeast PVC collection’s attendance is not particularly encouraging.
