Non-Indigenes Protest in Lagos over PVC

Thousands of non-indigenes in Lagos yesterday marched to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Yaba to protest alleged marginalisation in the distribution of the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).

The protesters, who were leaders of the South-South and South-East groups in Lagos, brandishing their Temporary Voter’s Cards (TVCs) stormed the INEC office with various placards, demanding their PVCs to enable them to vote in the forthcoming elections. They had first converged on the Yaba Market before marching to INEC’s office.

Some of the placards read: “No PVC, no peace, no election,” “INEC, release our PVCs please,” “Jega, where are our PVCs?”  “INEC deliberately hold our PVCs,” “Non-indigenes of Lagos State refuse to be disenfranchised,” “We want to vote, give us our PVCs,” among many others.

Some of the leaders who spoke to newsmen said some local council areas where there is a large population of non-indigenes were deliberately being disallowed from getting their PVCs.

Policemen from some police divisions in the state were also on hand to forestall a breakdown of law and order, as they formed a human shield around the INEC officials.

The protesters, in their address, alleged that INEC was being partial in the distribution of the PVCs, adding that some officials of the electoral body had been compromised.

The Chairman of Union of Non-indigenes in Lagos State, Francis Abang, said report from members of the group indicated that 70 per cent of them had yet to collect their PVCs.

He said, “At the last meeting we had, our members told me that more than 70 per cent of our people have not collected their PVCs. And without this card, we cannot vote. That is why we decided to come here and air our grievances. We want to vote.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the North Central indigenes in Lagos State, Obalaiye Boyede, said out of 15 polling units in his area in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state, only two had received PVCs.

Boyede said, “A general secretary with us went to Ikeja with his wife to collect his PVC, but they were turned back. I believe there is connivance between some political parties and some INEC officials. These parties are given PVCs in bulk to take home and when anybody raises questions, the situation turns rowdy just to cover up the act.

“In Abule Oki, Iyana Ipaja, where I came from, many of our people are being disenfranchised. Out of 15 polling units, it is only in two that PVCs have been distributed.”

Christopher Chimeze, a resident of the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area claimed he lost his job while chasing his PVC.

The Imo State indigene, who said he had lived all his life in the state, said he had made at least 12 futile attempts to get the card, but was frustrated.

Chimeze said his boss asked him to leave his job “after he did not find me on site on several occasions. But I won’t give up, because I believe my vote is what will make that right candidate to win the election.”

Onugha Remigus, a 70-year-old protester from the Mushin area of Lagos State, said, “INEC owes me. They used my shop, table and chairs for the distribution of the PVCs and yet, they didn’t give me my card.”

Another resident, Uche David, said there was a deliberate plot to disenfranchise the Igbos in the state.

He said, “If you go to Ajeromi, you will discover that those from the South-South are being deliberately sidelined. In Ajegunle, they are burning the PVCs of non-indigenes and this is bad. We need our PVCs to vote.”

Apollinaris Akpejiro, a youth leader from Alimosho Local Council, said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) knows that non-indigenes are stakeholders in this election and it believes rightly or wrongly that we have sympathy for a particular candidate other than its candidate, which is why it is orchestrating this marginalisation to deny many of us of our PVCs.”

Responding to their demand, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, apologised to the group for the troubles and hassles they had faced in getting their PVCs but said the delay was not deliberate.

“As at today, I am aware the cards are not available in Mushin, Oshodi Isolo, Alimosho, Badagry, Ajeromi Ifelodun and other areas. There is, however, no deliberate intention to deny anyone of his card whether an indigene or non-indigene.

“We will distribute the cards before the election and to hasten the process, every weekend from this Saturday, we will take the cards from the local councils to the polling units to ensure that all Nigerians get their PVCs,” he pledged.