…As 289,000 PVCs remain uncollected in their domain
Cyriacus Nnaji
Traditional Rulers in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State have stressed the need for their subjects to collect their PVCs in order to qualify to vote in the 2023 elections.
The move by the monarchs became necessary as it was reported that out of 389,000 of those that registered with INEC in the Ikorodu only 100,000 people have been able to collect their PVCs.
These revelations were made at Ikorodu Divisional Council of Obas and Chiefs’ Town Hall Meeting on the upcoming general election, 2023 at Ikorodu Town Hall on Monday, 16th January, 2023.
Accordingly, the traditional rulers said the town hall meeting was basically to make sure that the traditional rulers as a group closest to the grassroots have the capacity to mobilise the people for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governorship candidate of the party in the state and all those going for legislative positions.
The traditional Rulers were asked to inform their wards on the importance of PVC, adding that it is dangerous sign if such volume of PVC are not collected. The Obas and Baales agreed among themselves to leave no stone unturned by going from street to street and community to community in order to ensure over 90% PVC collection in their domain.
Speaker after speaker laid emphasis on PVC as King in the coming election.
The town hall meeting which also attracted various groups including Sanwo-Olu Ambassadors, agreed to target 250,000 to 300, 000 PVC collection at Ikorodu.
Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi speaking to the media said “You know why we are here, you can see all the political leaders, all traditional leaders, all the Obas in Ikorodu Division, all the baales, all the chiefs, and it is all about one single thing which is the coming election, that is the purpose why we are here. The next election is germane in our mind, we want everybody to participate, and we heard that out of 389000 registered voters in Ikorodu Division, that they have just collected 100,000.
Oba Shotobi said “So we need to talk to our people to please go and collect your PVC; that is our weapon; that is what we have for the payback time for the politicians, the political leaders, what they have done for us in Ikorodu Division. Take for example, we are going to commission the biggest, largest rice mill in the whole of Africa in Ikorodu Division, that is the blessing, and we got to compensate them, this democracy has given the poor man the power to make use of their voters card to vote for their candidates, that you can say, I am part and parcel of those that have voted. And that is why we are here to sensitise our people, to make people go out there and work tremendously for everybody to come out and vote.”
On measures being put in place to ensure that people in his domain collect their PVC the monarch said “The modality is simple, we want to encourage the people we believe have gotten their PVCs, they need to go and encourage others to go and collect their PVCs and once they are encouraged and collect their PVC, then the matter is simple.”
Speaking on how the traditional institution can play key role in the 2023 election, Oba Ajibade Agoro, the Ranodu of Imota said “As owners of the grassroots we have to encourage our people to go and vote, we are the grassroots people, we are the pillars of the society, the government itself is resting on us as the owners of the grassroots.”
Commenting on the lull in collection of PVC in Ikorodu Division, he said, “We are going to tell them in our areas, apart from what we have done here today, we are going back to our various domains to urge our people to go and collect their PVCs.
Asked if the citizens need special motivation for them to collect their PVCs, he said “The motivation is the way you talk to them at the grassroots level, that is the motivation, you tell them implications of them not collecting it or of them not going to vote, and you tell them also the benefits of coming to vote if they collect the PVC.”
Goodwill messages at the town hall meeting came from Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Abiodun Ogunlewe, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Senator Tokunbo Abiri, Rep, Babajimi Benson, Ashipa Kaoli Olusanya, among other illustrious sons and daughters of Ikorodu kingdom.
