Ibrahim Auwal is from Funtua in
Katsina State. He is a water vendor in
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),
Abuja. He is one among many others
who have vowed not to sell their
Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for
monetary gains, even as he struggles to
survive. OIBOH PETER writes on the
optimistic vendor.
As the struggle to get his daily bread
continues, Auwal Ibrahim, a water
vendor, who hails from Funtua in
Katsina State, and lives in Nyanya,
Abuja says he would not sell his voters’
card despite the hardship that he faces in
Abuja. The vendor is one amongst many
Nigerians who have vowed not to sell
their voters’ card for any reason, even
though politicians have been trying to
entice them with bags of rice and cash.
According to Auwal, “one fateful day, as
I went out to do my business with some
of my friends at the point where we fetch
water, we were discussing as usual and I
was asked if I would sell my PVC for
N10,000. I was shocked by the
statement. Since then, I have being under
pressure to sell my voters’ card. I was
told by my friends that a certain
unnamed lady asked them to look out for
people with PVCs so that she could buy
them.”
It is no longer news that some people are
taking advantage of the extension given
by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) for the collection of
PVCs to perpetuate dubious agenda. In a
chat with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the
water vendor said that he is confident he
will vote in the election even though he is
under pressure to sell his voters’ card.
Auwal, who continuously expressed his
optimism about voting with his PVC,
added that he took the pains to travel
from Abuja to Funtua, his home town, to
register during the INEC registration
process. He stated that the orientation he
had on the forthcoming election from
INEC gives him confidence to participate
in the elections.
The water vendor said he had been eager
to get a voters’ card so that he could
participate in the elections, saying that
was why he made out time to travel to
Funtua to collect his PVC. He reiterated
that he has decided to vote for candidates
of his choice no matter any amount of
money anybody will give to him.
Reacting to the shift of the general
elections, he said he was not happy about
it because he had arrived Katsina, his
state of origin, for the voting before the
news came to him that the elections had
been postponed. According to him, the
little money he gathered from the water
business was spent on travelling to the
village for the election.
According to Musa Abu, brother to
Auwal, “some crooks that want to make
money from politicians and continue to
increase the suffering of Nigerians have
deviced means of buying voters cards from
the public. One however, wonders how
they want to make use of the PVCs being
purchased. Investigations revealed that
hawkers around town who have their
voters cards are being enticed with little
amounts of money to sell the card.
Also, there was a speculation that some
political campaigners go from house to
house convincing the less privileged in the
society with food items and cash to get
their votes. According to Francis Momoh,
one of the hawker, who has had a first
hand experience, some people came to him
saying they needed those that have the
PVCs and that they are ready to pay
any amount of money. He said he will
not be a victim of crooks.
Meanwhile, one of the reasons for the
shift in the election dates by the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) was for all registered
voters to use the opportunity to collect
their PVCs from the commission. No
doubt some residents of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) are still
struggling to collect their PVCs just like
voters in other parts of the country.
Auwal travelled on two occasions to
Funtua before he got his voters card.
In a city like the FCT, where the cost of
living is on the high side, for someone like
Auwal and others, shelter is a big
challenge, what they feed on comes from
their businesses every day. Ordinarily, it
will be difficult to believe that the water
vendor had to travel from Abuja to
register and collect his PVC against the
2015 elections, but the power to make
any change depends on votes.
and prospective voters are not leaving
any stone unturned.

God bless u 4 nt selling ur pvc, na one of d reason gej postpone d election be dat.
Sai baba

jingh:
God bless u 4 nt selling ur pvc, na one of d reason gej postpone d election be dat.
Sai baba

I don't understand, is it that this year's rigging will not be hidden. The next four weeks will really unveil a lot of things that will determine our existence as a nation.