By Tina George, Minna
The Niger state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna has tasked Christians to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in order to avoid regrets in the future.
Yohanna in his June 12 message to Christians in the state, said it is necessary for active participation as members of political parties or as electorates.
The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora noted that Christians are among the determinants of who governs the state and country in the next dispensation.
“The INEC said it recorded a 22.13 percent increase in Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in 2019. Now, 2023 is up to us! Remember that the final lap towards carrying out your civic duty as an electorate starts from getting your PVC so you can vote on Election Day.
“I want to urge eligible Christians to get their Permanent Voter Cards to participate in the 2023 general elections. The ongoing continuous registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a must embrace by us all owing to the fact that, we must go out and get our PVCs so we can vote people of our choice into power.
“Those who can fix our roads, build hospitals, ensure our children get better education, provide security, all the basic amenities and then secure the future of the country. To avoid regrets in the future, adults of voting age in Nigeria must get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in preparation for the 2023 general election,” he said.
According to Yohanna, Nigerians and Christians must not seat on the fence any longer, saying that any excuse for not having the PVC is not justifiable.
“I urge you all to avoid statements like “VOTES DO NOT COUNT”. If votes don’t count, politicians won’t bribe/pay people to vote for them. When people say they are not interested in getting the PVC because they are not sure if hired thugs would not disrupt the election; that they are not sure the security situation in the country would allow for any election in 2023, or that the elections would be rigged. I will just say to you, Go and get your PVC!”
The CAN Chairman called on INEC to publish centers for the collection of PVCs to enable those who had registered online to pick up their cards.
