Voter Registration/PVC Collection: Traders without Voter’s Card barred from opening shops in Ikeja, Lagos; Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi declare public holidays

Traders have been barred from opening their shops in the Ikeja area of Lagos by some local government officers.

They have been told they can only trade unless they have their permanent voter’s card. Media reports confirm that currently, only those with their PVCs are allowed to open for business.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had declared four days as work-free days beginning from Tuesday, in a bid for all public workers to register for and collect their Permanent Voter Cards before the deadline date of July 30, 2022.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced that over one million uncollected PVCs in Lagos state are still in their custody.

The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday declared a three-day public holiday to enable more citizens to complete their voter registration.

A statement from Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the state’s seat of power says the holiday begins on the 27th till the 29th of July.

The Government urges all eligible residents to seize this window to register, as this will put them in a position to exercise their right to vote.

They have also directed all employers to actively support their staff to register before INEC closes voter registration on 31st July 2022.

In a similar move, the Governors of Sokoto state Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his Kebbi State counterpart Abubakar Atiku Bagudu have declared Thursday 28th and Friday, 29th July 2022, public holidays.

This is to enable civil servants of the states to obtain or revalidate their permanent voter cards.

According to Governor Tambuwal, the break is also intended to give local government chairmen and their councilors, as well as the thronging workers, a chance to mobilise and educate eligible voters about where to register and where to pick up their Personal Voters Card (PVC) in order to participate in the upcoming General Elections in the nation.

A statement issued by the Acting Head of Service, Alhaji Safiyanu Garba Bena, and made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi, said this is necessary in order to encourage people of the state to participate fully in the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise that will end on Saturday as declared by INEC.

The Governors further called on the people of the states to take advantage of the two-day holiday to exercise their civic responsibility, so as not to be disenfranchised.