Independent National Electoral Commission

Hunger, fear and other forms of hardships now constitute the mindset of millions of Nigerians less than four days to the general elections.

This assertion was made on Monday by the representative of Civil Society Organizations(CSO), Hadjia Aisha Ismail, at an enlarged stakeholders meeting organized by the Oyo state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''People are hungry, people don't have what to eat, there is no fuel, they can't get anything from their neighbors, banks are not dispensing cash, Point of Sale(POS) shops are also not dispensing cash. The masses are afraid to come out, we have to go out to tell them not to be afraid to come out. We have told them that when there is trouble, they should go back home. Please, we don't want hooliganism. We must not vote for the wrong people in this election,'' Hadjia Ismail concluded.

In his remark, the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in the state, Dr. Adeniran Tella expressed worries over the flashpoints in the state, saying, ''the security agencies have assured them of adequate security before, during and after the elections. All hands must be on deck to achieve successful elections.''

The representative of the Inter Party Advisory Council(IPAC), Pastor Biodun Popoola appealed to political parties to act within the ambits of the law, adding ''let us educate our members. I also appeal to our religious bodies to pray more this time for God's intervention.''

However, the meeting got rowdy when the issue of the actual figure of collected and uncollected Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) was raised by a political party representative.

The gathering dispersed when the organizers hurriedly brought the meeting to an end for another official engagement. No public holidays were set aside for Nigerians in Oyo state to collect their PVCs.

In another development, the spokesman of INEC in the state, Mr. Awolowo has disclosed that the registration for the accreditation for Journalists that will cover the general elections in the state has closed.

Overcrowding

The additional population which has brought about overcrowding in several communities in Oyo state, has resulted in evil, lawlessness, crime, criminality and evil in those communities. Who are those responsible for the overcrowding? Nigerians continue to ask.

Trade unions in the formal and non-formal sectors in Oyo state have expressed divergent views on the unimpressive turn out of Nigerians in the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) in the state.

A sizable number insist that the frustrating and cumbersome process for the collection of PVCs has greatly discouraged thousands of Nigerians from collecting their PVCs.

Others insist that the difficult process is deliberate for unknown reasons. Sadly, others opine that in the absence of good governance, they have no choice but to make do with handouts.

In his view, the chairman of Day Old Chicks Association of Nigeria(DOCAN) in the state, Alhaji Tijani Mudashiru lamented that their votes in previous elections were yet to have an impact on the association, saying,''our members come from different homes and they have been voting for several years, but up till this moment, there has not been any government intervention. We do not have public toilets. The government has never thought of giving us interest-free loans. We need a place near this environment to continue with our business. All these would go a long way to encouraging members to collect their PVCs.''

However, for the chairman of the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Comrade Solomon Olugbode it is imperative for his members to collect their PVCs,''because the PVCs are the ticket to vote.''

''For everyone to participate in the 2023 general elections, I think everyone should collect their PVCs, so that they can vote for candidates of their choice. But the process of collection is difficult. The hardships that go with collecting PVCs are what people avoid. The process is worrisome. My advice to my members is that they should collect their PVCs and vote for those who will not stop their business. They should vote for people who will not be intoxicated by power.''