By Obinna Unaeze
Minna – The Niger government on Friday urged politicians, traditional rulers, and journalists to sensitise registered voters on the need to claim their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Alhaji Danjuma Sallau, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy made the call while speaking to newsmen in Minna.
Sallau said that there was the need for stakeholders to educate residents that have registered to collect their PVCs in order to exercise their civic rights in the 2019 elections.
He noted that the apathy exhibited by some registered voters toward PVC collection may disenfranchise them in the elections.
The Commissioner said that the state government was assisting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the task of ensuring that residents collect their cards.
Sallau also called on eligible voters with PVCs not to sell their voting rights to desperate politicians who may entice them with money and other material things.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on Aug. 8 the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Samuel Egwu said efforts were on to make people collect their cards.
He added that on June 21 the commission started campaign for the owners of printed PVCs in the 2017 Continuous Voter Registration exercise amounting to 82,896 to come and collect them.
“As at Tuesday, Aug. 7, 26,673 persons representing 32 per cent have collected their PVCs. This means that a lot needs to be done,’’ Egwu said.
(NAN)