There were hiccups across the country as Nigerians stormed Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) local government offices to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs).
With the January 22 deadline looming, the cards were not available in some centres, while there were queues in others and low turnout in some.
But, INEC called for patience, saying the issues would be addressed.
At many of the collection centres, the complaints were the same.
Registered voters whose particulars showed that their PVCs were ready for collection could not find them.
Most of the registered voters whose PVCs were supposed to have been ready, according to the INEC timeline, were not yet produced.
An INEC official told one of our reporters that most of the registered voters could not find their cards.
He said: “It is either that some of the cards have not been produced yet or they have been mixed up.
“We just hope that it will be corrected soon.”
Another challenge is the renewed attacks on the commission’s facilities by hoodlums, which has brought pressure on the staff.
In Imo State, three INEC offices, including the state headquarters, were attacked in less than one week.
Abia
In Abia, residents were told that their cards were yet to arrive from Abuja.
INEC spokesman in the state, Bamidele Oyetunji, confirmed that Abia was yet to receive cards of those who registered this year.
He said it was peculiar to the state and that the cards were being expected.
Rivers
In Rivers, hundreds of voters besieged the INEC office in Obio-Akpor.
While some succeeded, others waited in vain as the employees locked the office at 4 pm.
A resident, who simply identified himself as Luke, said: “When I saw the crowd, I was discouraged and went back.
“When I returned, I saw them packing, saying they had closed, and that we should come back tomorrow (today).
“The good news is that the PVC is here.”
Another resident said he had been going back and forth in a bid to collect his PVC.
Some residents said more hands should be engaged to facilitate the exercise.
Delta
In Delta State, there were rowdy scenes and a shortage of personnel at collection centres.
Some residents in Oshimili South Local Government Area (LGA) collected their PVCs, but others expressed disappointment, having spent hours without getting theirs.
There were allegations that some residents were being favoured because they offered an inducement to the officials.
A commercial bus driver said: “I have been here since 9.00 a.m and have not succeeded in getting my PVC.
“I transferred my registration from Port Harcourt and I have been told to wait.”
Sokoto
Lengthy queues were seen at collection points in Sokoto State.
Head, Voter Education in Sokoto, Muhammad Takai, told our reporter that INEC had no fewer than 19,833 PVCs for collection in Wamakko, Kware, Goronyo and Binji local government areas.
“We have also received 59,391 PVCs for those seeking transfer, updates and replacement in the first and second phase of the exercise,” he said.
Plateau
In Jos, the Plateau State capital, the PVCs are distributed only at the 17 INEC offices in the LGAs.
Many are waiting until the collection point is brought closer to them.
Adamawa
The collection rate is low in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
At the INEC Zonal Office in Demsawo in the Jimeta district of Yola, only a handful of people came for their PVCs.
It was learnt that Adamawa still has a large number of uncollected PVCs.
The state office of INEC had last month complained of a slow pace of PVC collection.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa, said over 200,000 PVCs were uncollected.
Ondo
Voters in Ondo State urged INEC to move the PVCs to collation centres sooner.
Over 170,000 new voters were registered in the recent voters’ enrollment.
Those who spoke after collecting their PVCs in Akure South said the process was cumbersome.
They claimed that they spent hours before they were attended to.
Pa Francis Babarinsa, aged 81, said: “I came to collect my PVC because of the need to have a good government for the country.
“We have suffered so much. I received lots of insults about conditions in Nigeria while working in Ghana.”
Adeboboye Kehinde described the collection process as slow.
“I was here for three hours. INEC should take the PVC collection to collation centres to make it easy.
“I spent N600 for transportation to collect this PVC. The situation here is slow.”
Anambra
Security concerns discouraged many residents in Anambra State from collecting their PVCs.
A resident, who simply identified himself as Ozoemena, at Ihiala centre, said: “The recent burning of INEC offices in Imo and other states has really instilled fear in people.
“Those who ordinarily would have come out to collect their PVCs are now afraid.
“Most of the youths have fled their communities for fear of being killed by either security agents or gunmen.
“Majority of people will not collect their PVCs unless the security agencies are strategically positioned in security-prone areas known to be soft targets for the gunmen.”
The REC, Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu, said over 132,626 PVCs in the 21 LGAs were yet to be collected.
Oyo
The collection process was seamless at the INEC office in Ibadan North Local Government, Agodi-Gate, and Ibadan North East LGA secretariat on Iwo Road.
Edo
There were crowds in most of the 18 LGAs of Edo State.
INEC’s Head of Voter Education in Edo, Mr. Timidi Wariowei, said all registered voters would be attended to.
Yobe
There was a large turnout in Damaturu, Yobe State, with queues seen in Potiskum.
The Electoral Officer of Damaturu LGA, Micheal Garba, said the turnout was impressive.
A resident, Aisha Audu, said: “I did not spend more than five minutes.”
The collection rate appears low, with 78,000 uncollected at the Commission’s office in Damaturu.
Kaduna
The process is also seamless in Kaduna State, with INEC saying it has so far distributed about 60 per cent of the PVCs received.
Kano
In Kano State, the process was orderly at the INEC office in the municipal.
Paramilitary personnel stood at the gate controlling the crowd.
However, some residents visited the INEC office many times but their cards were not yet available.
Our correspondent visited some wards and met some disappointed residents.
INEC spokesman in Kano, Adam Maulud, said there were over 200,000 uncollected PVCs.
INEC urges patience
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the RECs were working hard to ensure seamless PVC collection.
He said: “The collection of PVCs started on December 12. The collection will continue till January 22, 2023.
“From January 6 to 15, 2023, the collection will be devolved to the 9,809 electoral wards.
“With the deluge of persons that thronged our local government offices, there are bound to be hitches and challenges.
“We counsel calm and patience. All those that carried out legal and valid registration will get their PVCs.”
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