Eligible voters in Umuahia, Abia State, have expressed anger and disappointment after failing to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) on the first day of the nationwide collection exercise.
The voters accused officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of abandoning designated collection centres before the scheduled closing time, despite the importance of obtaining the cards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Vanguard, no INEC officials were present at Ugba Primary School, Umuahia, when its correspondent visited around 2pm on Friday.
A similar situation was observed at School Road Primary School at about 2:42pm, where no electoral officials were seen. Enquiries indicated that the officials who had earlier arrived for the exercise had already left.
One of the affected voters, Innocent Odoenelam, a resident of World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia, said he rushed to the centre after hearing a radio announcement that the PVCs were ready for collection, only to discover that officials had closed for the day.
Odoenelam, who arrived at about 2:30pm, described the experience as discouraging, particularly because the official closing time was 3pm.
He urged INEC to ensure that its personnel remain at designated centres throughout the stipulated collection hours, warning that difficulties in registering and collecting PVCs could discourage eligible citizens from participating in elections.
“I feel heavily disappointed because I left a lot of things I should be doing to rush down here to pick up my PVC. I feel discouraged,” he said.
Despite his frustration, Odoenelam vowed to return on Monday, insisting that he remained determined to vote.
Another voter, Francis Egwuibe, said he visited the collection centre as early as 8:30am but left after waiting beyond 9am without seeing any INEC official.
He explained that he returned in the afternoon, hoping to collect his PVC, only to discover that the officials had left.
While speaking to newsmen, Egwuibe questioned why electoral personnel could not remain at the centres throughout the announced collection period, considering the time and transportation costs incurred by voters.
He also called on INEC to properly educate its staff about their responsibilities, alleging that the situation raised concerns about the conduct of the exercise.
Similarly, a female voter, Chioma Njoku, accused the commission of treating prospective voters as though they had no value.
She warned that such experiences could discourage citizens who were willing to participate in the electoral process.
The affected voters called on INEC to improve its arrangements and ensure that eligible citizens could collect their PVCs without unnecessary difficulties.
When contacted, INEC’s spokesperson in Abia State, Victor Abraham, promised to respond after making the necessary enquiries.
Abia voters lament as INEC officials abandon PVC collection centres