The distribution of permanent voters’ cards (PVCs), which commenced in Lagos State on Friday was marred by ill preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the commission’s staff did not show up in most of the polling units monitored until 2:00p.m.
Distraught voters were seen at the various units visited by BusinessDay complaining against the poor start by INEC which they said signposted what is to be expected in the 2015 general elections.
Thousands, who trooped to their various polling units very early in the morning, were disappointed as they waited endlessly for INEC officials. The exercise, which is supposed to start by 8.00a.m was delayed till 2p.m in most of the units. And even when the officials showed up, there were no PVCs to distribute.
At a polling unit on Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, several people were seen waiting for INEC officials to come to distribute the PVCs.
At former Governor Bola Tinubu’s polling unit at Sunday Adigun, several Lagosians were seen waiting for INEC officials to no avail as they lamented the failure of the exercise and complained bitterly that they had not seen INEC officials coming to hand over their PVCs to them. Here, a female official of INEC who turned up at about 2p.m had no PVCs. She pleaded with the voters to continue to exercise patience.
At Polling Unit 008, Alausa, there was no sign of INEC officials as residents who had waited for hours left in annoyance. At Ward C, several people were seen waiting in vain for INEC officials, who had not shown up after past 1.00p.m.
Wale Odunlami, former chairman of Ikeja Local Government, at Tinubu’s polling unit, expressed disappointment that INEC officials had not shown up as at 1.00p.m to distribute the PVCs to several people waiting to collect them.
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A consultant, Adewale Fasade, who was at Ward C to collect his PVC said he had waited for hours without INEC officials showing up.
According to him, he went to his polling unit at Oregun and waited for hours for INEC officials to show up, saying that when they did not show up, he decided to come to Ward ‘C’ where he was told that some INEC officials were there to distribute the cards. Fasade said he was disappointed when he had to wait for hours at Ward ‘C’ for INEC officials who refused to show up to distribute the cards, adding that he would not be deterred, but ensure that he got his card to enable him vote in the forthcoming elections.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Wale Ogundimu, who was at Ward ‘C’ said he mobilised several members to come to the ward as at 8:30a.m to collect their PVCs, but lamented that they had been waiting for INEC for the past six hours, but that the officials had refused to show up to distribute the PVCs.
JOSHUA BASSEY
