Traders at the Alaba international electronic market declared last week Thursday as free of trading activities to enable their members embark on aggressive Voter Registration exercise.
According to some of them that spoke with metrobusinessnews.com under strict anonymity, the present state of affairs requires everybody to be involved in bringing about a ‘new nigeria’ devoid of challenges bedebiling the country.
“Alaba International Market Lagos Electronics (IMAE) last week Thursday closed the market to enable us, the traders, go and obtain our PVCs, then from the upper week no trader will be able to pass the market gate without presenting their PVC to the securities at the gate,“ according to a message mailed to this platform by one of the traders.
Speaking on telephone, another trader said, “It was last week Thursday that we embarked on the project, agreed by all of us to mobilise ourselves and vote massively for the candidate of our choice.
“We can no longer sit and watch situation of things deteriorating like this and as a first step, we have decided to ensure that everybody, if possible, should obtain his or her own PVC.“
On whether there would be any enforcement at the gates, he said that is speculation as the most important thing is that the decision to go for our PVC is a collective one.“
He was optimistic that the exercise will be repeated anytime the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) decides to make good its promise to extend the registration exercise.
Political watchers and analysts see the development as similar to a kind of “quiet revolution”, which they all agreed, is desirable now.
“Call it a revolution or anything, at least revolution comes in different forms,” says an analyst.
INEC said last week that it is considering extending the continuous voter registration exercise.
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INEC Considering Possibility Of Voter Registration Extension– Prof Mahmood “We have heard your requests loud & clear. You will soon hear from us on the extension of CVR registration,” the chairman of the agency, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said in a tweet on its official handle.
“Please assure me that you will register, pick your PVCs, and Vote. I also assure you that your vote will count.”
His comments followed calls from several quarters for the body to extend the registration scheduled to end on June 30.
Recently, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room), a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, called on the electoral body to extend the deadline.
The CSOs believe “citizens have now intensified their efforts in registering for their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).
“There have also been several appeals by Nigerians to INEC to extend the registration exercise to enable them to register to obtain a PVC. Situation Room has received reports of large crowds at the INEC offices across the country.”
Within the same period, the commission admitted there was a surge in PVC registration across the country.
“In response, the Commission immediately released additional 209 machines deployed mainly to the five South Eastern States, Lagos, and Kano where the pressure is most acute,” the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye said
“The Commission will monitor the situation over the next few days. Thereafter, it will meet to review the progress of the exercise.”
Responding, John Agbo, managing director and chief executive of
Standard Alliance Capital and Asset Management Limited said,
“This is the right thing for INEC to do. The extension is very necessary as the desire to get registered by most people is high and we can only avoid blames and unwarranted litigations that may follow untimely closure of PVC registration.
INEC should be happy because their job of creating awareness is been done by the people. Thanks to Peter Obi.“
Engineer Joseph Ocheja Egbunu said,
“It’s a laudable idea. The rate at which the people are coming out surprises me.
The people for the first time are enthusiastic about the registration. “
