IT’S another election year when Nigerians choose who leads them in the next four years. This report takes a look at the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) collection process across seven states in Nigeria.

Since the country returned to democracy in 1999, the succession of government in the country has been through the ballot. Every government has a constitutional limit of four years and can run for another but a maximum term of four years.

Nigeria’s legal voting age is 18 years. However, prospective voters must have a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) after the country’s election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has registered them.

The INEC has scheduled the 2023 polls for February 25 and March 11. Presidential and National Assembly elections come first, then the Governorship and Houses of Assembly polls. Read the process of conducting elections in Nigeria here.

The presidency is the most keenly contested, being the highest office in the country.

Eighteen political parties have fielded candidates for the office. Since the campaigns began on September 28, 2022, four candidates have led, with many citizens believing one of them will win the election and steer the nation’s affairs after the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, leaves office on May 29.

The leading candidates are the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

As part of its preparation for the polls, INEC continued the registration of prospective voters in 2021 and ended the process on July 31, 2022.

Media reports and diverse information on social media showed how citizens queued at registration centres created by INEC and across its offices for days to register for the card. Those who did the online part of the registration also had some hiccups but found the process easier.

An additional 12.29 million citizens registered for the card between 2021 and July 31, 2022.

According to the Commission, there are 84,004,084 registered voters in the country, representing over a third of the nation’s estimated 220 million people. The elections will take place at 176,846 polling units.

Since December, those registered have been trooping to the Commission’s offices in local government areas to pick up the card.

On Friday, January 5, the Commission moved from Local Government Areas to Wards for the PVC distribution.

The ICIR reports that increasing political awareness in Nigeria, occasioned by unprecedented insecurity, economic misfortunes, alarming poverty and growing agitation for secession among ethnic nationalities, compelled many citizens to register for the PVC.

A cross-section of residents at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) who came to collect their PVC on December 29, 2022 believe that participating in the electoral process will enable them to elect a leader that can keep the nation as one, restore it to its past prosperous years and raise the hope of the citizenry.

The ICIR visited INEC offices in Sokoto, Gombe, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Lagos, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), where scores of Nigerians either vented their anger or lauded INEC’s preparedness for the elections.

Findings by The ICIR among scores of people interviewed revealed that while some INEC offices have large crowds, others do not. For instance, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) had a large crowd because the area council is big, having the size of several local government areas in the country.

Jannij:
Good or bad nothing can stop the will of the God Almighty in February

taylor88:
Northern APC are busy defecting to PDP


While Nairaland urchins and sons limited are hoping on northern block votes


If it’s not Peter Obi let it be Atiku



That urinary infected drug bastard can’t smell Aso Rock


Bloody Thief

jeeqaa7:
I nefa collect my own o

dokJ:
I am set to vote in a working, sincere and healthy president.
The very first time in my life I am enthusiastic to vote.

PrinceOfLagos:
February should come quickly

ukehnonny:

I saw he*l before I collected mine. Went around 7:39am on Tuesday collected around 3:39pm. It wasn't easy but we move. Go get yours.
No pain! No gain!

I wish they make the process easier

taylor88:
Northern APC are busy defecting to PDP


While Nairaland urchins and sons limited are hoping on northern block votes


If it’s not Peter Obi let it be Atiku



That urinary infected drug bastard can’t smell Aso Rock


Bloody Thief