Wait Till After Elections --INEC Tells Abia Residents Without PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Abia has advised
residents who were unable to locate their Permanent Voters Cards to
wait until after the elections to continue the search.

The INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Edwin Enabor, said
this in Umuahia on Wednesday.

He said nothing could be done at this time as the time set for PVC
collection had expired.

Some residents had complained that they could not find their PVCs
where they had registered or where they had been directed to go and
search for them.

Some of the residents who spoke in Aba, the state capital, expressed
their displeasure at the disenfranchisement.

A resident of Umuoba Road in Aba, Love Obi, said that she had
registered at GTC, Aba, and had gone there up to three times to
retrieve her card without success.

"I went first last year and I did not see my voter card where I
registered. Then towards the end of 2014, I went again and was asked
to return after three months.

"When I went after three months which was January 2015, they told me
to go search for my card at Aba North Local government headquarters;
but all the searches yielded no results as I was told that my card
could not be seen.

"I went to both GTC and Aba North LGA headquarters but my voter card
was not found. Why should I be disenfranchised by a problem I did not
create even when I want to vote?" She asked.

A tailor formerly residing at Omuma Road, David Okeugo, said that in
2014 when people were asked to collect their PVCs, he went to
Asaa-Okpuaja Hall, where he had registered but could not trace his
card.

"I have gone there and they told me to go to Aba North local
government headquarters.

"At the local government, I was also told to go to Tower but at Tower,
they said it was not there, then I went to Okigwe Road Primary School
by Faulks as I was directed and it was not found".

Mr. Okeugo expressed regret that he took time off work to register and
at the end of the day, would not be able to vote.

Another resident, Ndukwe Ogbaa, a driver, who also could not locate
his card, said INEC had deprived him of his right to decide Nigeria's
leaders in the coming election.
--NAN