By Dawud Ahmed.
No doubt, 2023 general elections will be a defining moment for the political development of Nigeria as millions of electorate warm to vote for political leaders of their choice; from the President down the ladder of elective offices to kick-start the next political dispensation.
Obviously, the enthronement of act of governance in any society,through democratic process, is not a situation in where by people dance rhythmically to harmonic music such as jazz to while away time or engage in entertainment.
Political pondits affirm the truism that citizens of a country bring about democratic governnent and good leadership with cherished value to the people in response to their yearnings and aspirations, by being conscious of their civic responsibility to make such dream a reality.
They contend that one of the means of ensuring a political system which fulfils the dream of the people for better living condition, by the government,is by arming themselves with the necessary instrumentality of electing leaders one of which is permanent voter cards (PVCs).
This, therefore, presupposes that PVC remains the key to unlocking the door of the ineliable right and civic responsibility of the people to elect leaders of their choice for effective delivery of dividends of democracy.
Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), invariably, enables registered voters to exercise their civic right to vote in the General Elections,so says the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
Realising and imbibing the importance and concept of PVC, therefore, eligible voters through out Nigeria have been trooping to INEC offices in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT to register in the ongoing continuous registration in readiness to vote during general elections next year.
As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) intensifies efforts for the success of the ongoing of exercise and the nation awaits the outcome early next year, INEC has expressed concern over lukewarm of eligible voters who applied for PVCs, noting that those concerned refused to collect them.
In this regard, the commission disclosed that 20 million PVC,a mandatory requirement for eligibility to exercise the voting franchise during an election, were lying in its offices nation wide because the applicatants refused to collect them.
Its National Commissioner, who oversees the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau states, Mohammed Haruna,disclosed this at the inauguration of a campaign to drive the collection of PVCs and increase participation in the ongoing continuous voter registration.
He described the development as not only worrisome, but also showed the declining confidence of the electorate in Nigeria’s faltering democracy.
“Many do not bother to register. Of those who do register, many never bother to collect their PVCs.
“This is a disturbing reality that should be reversed, to make democracy inclusive and impactful on the country.
” It signposts a deep and unhealthy distrust by the citizens of the political class and associated political activities in the country,”he pondered.
Going memory lane Haruna recalled that in the run-up to the 2019 general elections in the country, there were 84 million PVCs with the electoral umpire noting that of the figure, close to 20 million PVCs had not been collected till date.
The INEC National Commissioner reminded Nigerians, particularly the voters, that “the allure of democracy above all other forms of government is that, supreme power is vested in the people.”
He argued that when people refused to use their power to exercise their voting right to elect leaders, such power “loses its potency and its capacity to deliver beneficial outcomes when only a few participate in that ultimate demonstration of sovereignty.”
According to Haruna,the sad development is also a pointer to the fact that “incrementally, an overwhelming number of Nigerians have been surrendering their right to choose their leaders to a narrowing minority.”
Political enthusiasts as well as stakeholders believe that Nigerians’, particularly the voting population,must ponder over Haruna’s view on the lukewarm attitude of voters towards PVC, especially as 2023 general elections in the country gather steam and change for a new leaf.
Peter Ebohon, who toed the line of Haruna observed that some Nigerians are not helping the matter by showing aparthy.
More worrisome he said that some even believe that it is not their business to have PVC.
But he was quick in reminding this class of Nigerians that when the few citizens who registered would ultimately vote, this segment of the population would impose a poor imperceptible leader who would not perform to the expectation of the electorate.
The writer also drew the attention of pessimists towards PVC, that
“,it is pertinent to note that the fundamental indices of underdevelopment in Nigeria; lack of adequate electricity, water supply, bad roads, lack of health care and deprepit educational infrastructure are as a result of this willful (self) disenfranchisement.”
” How do you describe a scenario in which you have some citizens crying for a drastic reversal of the high level of corruption , nepotism, religious intolerance, insecurity, ethnic rivalry and a whole of other malaises in the country yet refuse to register to have PVC.
“Are they not aware that PVC provides ample opportunity to correct the anomaly by using such document to elect they trust can change things for the better?through electoral college,” Mal. Adamu Mohammed,a political analyst asked.
In similar vein,Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, urged eligible voting population in the country to get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in preparation for the 2023 general elections to avoid regret in the future.
Itodo,who gave the advice in his address at a sensitisation outreach organised for market men and women in Abuja, stressed that Nigerians must not sit on the fence but participate actively in the nation’s electoral process.
Mike Akande, a political scientist, who spoke while exchanging views with Business Day newspaper, emphasized the need for Nigerians to have their PVCs,and detests excuses some Nigerians usually give for their pessimism toward PVC.
He said: “I hear people say they are not interested in getting the PVC because they are not sure if their votes would count; that they are not sure if hired thugs would not disrupt the election; that they are not sure the security situation in the country would allow for any election in 2023, or that the elections would be rigged.
“I have always told everybody I meet that gives such excuses that none of such excuses is enough to justify not having the PVC. If we continue looking backward, we would not make the desired progress.”
Sharing similar sentiment of optimistic Nigerians on PVC,Professor Dickson Achimugu Musa, tasked all eligible voters to go for and acquire their PVC and be ready to use it to vote in 2023 general elections.
Musa,a Professor of Pharmacological Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger state, gave the task in Minna while contributing to the maiden edition of a monthly Political Round Table Discussion.
The occasion is a political awareness programme with the theme: “Nigeria and the issues of Now: 2023 elections in View”,organised by a faith-based organization,the House on the Rock Church, Minna.
According to the academic,PVC and voting in the coming general elections becomes imperative, because Nigeria cannot attain the desired socio-economic and political greatness, comparable to its contemporaries world over without performing their role by voting, using PVC.
He said that armed with PVC, voters would in better advantage vote and wrestle the country from people who believed that government and governance must continue to rest on the shoulders of people who had no interest of citizens at heart.
The professor argued that Nigeria had all that is needed to become one of the super powers among third world countries but that lack of desired leadership had slowed its social, economic growth and development.
However, other citizens believe that all hope is not lost for the attachment of Nigeria’s growth and development if its citizens would develop vested interest in its political development by having their PVC to vote new leadership for much better results next year.
“The President Nigeria needs in 2023 is someone who has the knowledge of Nigeria’s numerous socio-economic and political challenges and is willingly ready to fix them within shortest time possible for the country to come back alive,” he assured.
Political observers are of the opinion that Nigerians must shun political apathy, money politics and for electorate to see PVC as sinequanon to achieving the noble goal of enthroning a government that will bring enhanced dividends of democracy to the nation.
They are not unmindful of the need for the federal and the state governments to improve on security of voters during electíons to encourage enmasse voting without fair or intimidation by thugs and their cohorts.
All said and done, various segments of the population in Nigeria and beyond the shores of the country believe, strongly, that PVC remains an indispensable political power at the disposal of eligible voters to ensure improved governance in the country in 2023.
The earlier pessimists change their attitude towards PVC, the better for immeasurable social, economic and political benefit for Nigeria yearning for much desired improved leadership in all spheres of life, particularly on political front..
Dawud Ahmed is a Journalist, he publishes The Reporters.
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ahmeddada008@gmail.com.
