By Gabriel Chy Alonta
The standard-bearer of the Labour Party for Awka North and South Federal Constituency for the 2023 general election in Anambra state, Prof. Oby Lilian Orogbu, has called on ‘Ndi Anambra’ and entire Nigerians who have reached 18 years and above to ensure they get their permanent voters’ cards, ahead of the June 30 deadline.
She urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the extension of the online and physical registration for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to obtain their PVCs to enable them exercise their franchise come 2023.
Prof. Orogbu, who made this call on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in an interview with newsmen in Awka, the Anambra state capital, noted that Nigerians can only elect quality leaders when they come out to vote enmass during elections. She harped on the need for citizens to use their PVCs to vote out bad leaders to entrench good governance.
Orient Daily reports that Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had, upon the expiration of initial May 30 CVR deadline, shifted the new deadline to June 30 after several calls across divides to extend the registration. He said the gesture would enable the Commission to clean up the registration data, print the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and compile the register ahead of the 2023 General Elections.
The Labour Party House of Representatives candidate then commended the renewed interest of youths in the civic process, while calling for more sensitization of voters through voter education. She enjoined the electoral empire to ensure that its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functions optimally in the 2023 general elections.
Prof. Orogbu also emphasized the need to discourage voter apathy, even as she encouraged INEC to ensure its staff are available to attend to teeming youths and Nigerians who are queuing up for the registration exercise as the deadline ticks.
