The Peoples Democratic Party has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to extend the deadline for the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards by three days.
The party made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan said the demand was predicated on reports across the country that some compromised INEC officials at the collection centres were deliberately refusing to issue the PVCs to voters.
This according to him is frustrating millions of registered voters from getting their voters’ cards.
“The PDP believes that the deliberate refusal to release PVCs is part of the wider plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to disenfranchise millions of Nigerians and frustrate their eagerness to elect PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
“The PDP demands explanation from INEC for turning back registered voters who went to collect their PVCs and directing them to come at a later date for an exercise that is programmed to end on Friday,” he said.
He said information available to the party shows that the APC planned to use the uncollected PVCs to allocate votes to its candidates.
Below is the full statement:
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urges the leadership of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the
collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) by three days.
This demand is predicated on reports across the nation that some
compromised INEC officials at the collection centers are deliberately
refusing to issue the PVCs to voters thereby frustrating millions of
registered voters from getting their voters cards.
The PDP believes that this deliberate refusal to release the PVCs is
part of the wider plot by the APC to disenfranchise millions of
Nigerians and frustrate their eagerness to vote out President Muhammadu
Buhari at the February 16 Presidential election and elect-in the peoples
candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The PDP demands explanation from INEC for turning back registered voters
who went to collect their PVCs and directing them to come at a later
date for an exercise that is programmed to end on Friday.
Information available to us shows that the APC has plans to use the
uncollected PVCs to allocate votes to President Buhari.
The PDP therefore calls on the leadership of INEC not to plunge the
election into a needless controversy but to redeem itself by extending
the closing date for the collection of the PVCs by three days.