Politics
Lagos, Ogun, Delta Ahead Of States With Unclaimed PVCs
Over five million Nigerians out of the 93m who registered to vote have yet to claim their Permanent Voter Cards barely four months to the 2023 elections.
Findings by The Tide source across 19 states indicate that Lagos, Ogun, Delta, Ekiti and Enugu States are leading the states with huge numbers of unclaimed PVCs despite the enlightenment campaigns carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Understandably, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and others are worried the forthcoming elections may be marred by voter apathy.
The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu had disclosed during a meeting with political parties in Abuja last week that over 2.7million new registrations between June 28, 2021 and July 31, 2022, were invalid.
During the 2019 general elections, the commission noted that out of the about 82.3m Nigerians in the voter register, only 28.6million voted which led to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari who polled 15 million votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar, who scored 11.2 million votes.
During the Lagos State governorship elections in 2019, Babajide Sanwo-Olu got 739,445 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jimi Agbaje of the PDP who had 206,141 votes.
Both candidates recorded less than one million votes despite the fact that the state had six million registered voters.
Findings on Monday showed that 963,884 PVCs have yet to be collected in Lagos, Ogun 661,643, Delta 300,000, Ekiti 239,858 and Enugu 160,000.
The commission’s Public Affairs Officer in Lagos, Mrs Adenike Oriowo put the number of uncollected cards at 963,884 as of October 21, 2022.
In a statement on Monday, she further disclosed that 37,832 new PVCs have not been collected out of the 60,370 received from the INEC’s national headquarters.
The statement said, “Overall total PVCs received from the national headquarters is 6,630,661. Overall total PVCs collected as of October 21, 2022, is 5,666,777, and overall PVCs uncollected as of October 21, 2022, is 963,884.”
According to the INEC Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, Mrs Rolake Odebunmi, there are 988,923 registered voters in the state and 239,858 among them had collected their PVCs.
Odebunmi stated that further action would commence on November 12 with a nationwide display of voter registers.
In Ogun state, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Niyi Ijalaye disclosed that 661,643 PVCs have yet to be collected.
The REC however said the total number of registered voters would be disclosed in the next two weeks after the cleanup of the voter register by INEC.
Also speaking with one of our source, the representative of the Public Affairs office of INEC in Gombe, Mohorret Bigun stated that no fewer than 95,959 cards were still in their custody.
In Ebonyi, it was stated that over 127,000 PVCs were yet to be collected while the number of unclaimed PVCs in Sokoto was put at 124,963. Some of the cards, it was gathered, have not been claimed since 2019.
At a recent stakeholders’ meeting, the Administrative Secretary of Sokoto INEC, Hauwa’u Aliyu said 148,446 voter cards were issued to the local government areas from 2019 to date but only 24,483 were collected.
Other states with a high number of uncollected PVCs include Adamawa 40,000; Kano 389,000; Niger 45,000; Bauchi 38,265 and Yobe 78,000.
But responding to the development, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, argued that more Nigerians had collected their PVCs over the years than those who haven’t.
“For instance, the total number of registered voters as of 2019 was 84,004,084. Out of this, 72,775,502 or 86.63 per cent have collected their PVCs, leaving 11,228,582 uncollected PVCs as of 11th February 2019.
“However, Nigerians have been collecting their PVCs since then, although in trickles. Don’t forget that we conducted Continuous Voter Registration between 28th June 2021 and 31st July 2022. The PVCs of those that registered between June 2021 and January 2022 have been printed and the rate of collection of this set of PVCs has been quite impressive,’’ Oyekanmi submitted.
The press secretary also disclosed that the full report of the uncollected PVCs would be given by the INEC chairman in February just before the Presidential election.
While admonishing Nigerians to collect their cards so they can exercise their franchise, he said, ‘’Creating awareness and urging eligible voters to collect their PVCs is a collective, and not only INEC’s, responsibility. Other stakeholders, especially the media, also have a responsibility to encourage Nigerians to pick up their PVCs.
“Without a PVC, no voter will be allowed to vote. That is why it is very important for voters to collect their cards. The Commission will continue to raise awareness among registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so.’’
The Chief Spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, believed that the commission owed Nigerians some explanation for the poor response to PVCs collection.
In his submission, the spokesperson of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan stated the INEC chairman had a responsibility to deliver a free, fair and credible election in 2023.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, equally asked the INEC to go the extra mile to ensure many Nigerians are not disenfranchised.
The AGF made this request in response to a suit marked SC/CV/379/2025 filed before the apex court by the Osun State government through its Attorney-General.
Osun State had sued the AGF as the sole defendant, alleging that the federal government failed to release the statutory allocation due to its 30 local government councils for March, 2025.
The state government claimed that, upon enquiry, the Finance Minister, Mr Wale Edun, said he was acting under the AGF’s directive.
However, Mr Fagbemi, represented by his counsel, Mr Akin Olujimi, denied the claim.
In a counter-affidavit deposed by Mr Taye Oloyede, Special Assistant to the president, the AGF insisted that neither he nor the Minister of Finance approved the withholding of Osun LG funds.
Mr Oloyede averred that on May 22, 2025, in his presence, the Minister of Finance denied ever receiving such instructions.
According to the affidavit, Osun State has failed to provide evidence that the LG funds were deliberately withheld.
The deponents stated that direct payment of allocations to LGAs requires only that they submit account details to the Ministry of Finance.
He claimed that Osun State failed to show that its LGAs had submitted their account details to the finance ministry.
Mr Oloyede further argued that the plaintiff failed to show that it had the legal authority or consent of the LGAs to initiate the lawsuit.
In addition, the affidavit alleged that the state government intends to use the LGA allocations to fund state-level health and education initiatives in contravention of a Supreme Court judgment prohibiting states from managing LGA finances.
He also pointed out that an earlier ruling by a federal high court ruling in favour of the Osun state governor had been overturned by the Court of Appeal.
He said despite the July 11 judgement of the Supreme Court prohibiting states from handling LGA funds, Osun State continued to receive and spend LG allocations from July, 2024 to February 2025, describing the act as an “egregious contempt”.
“The only way to vindicate the authority of this court is to order the plaintiff to pay back all LG funds collected between July 2024 and February 2025.
“These should be remitted to the Minister of Finance for onward transfer to the respective local governments”, the AGF stated.
Mr Fagbemi, in a preliminary objection to the suit, said: “The plaintiff is not entitled to be heard due to contempt”.
“The plaintiff has no right of appeal against the Supreme Court’s decision. The case does not present a genuine dispute to trigger the court’s original jurisdiction under Section 232(1) of the Constitution,” the AGF stated.
“The plaintiff has no locus standi to sue on behalf of local governments. Only LGs—not state governments—can seek redress for unpaid allocations.
“If any LG has been wrongly deprived of its funds, it is the council itself—not the state government—that has the right to sue.”
Although it was gathered that Osun State has applied for withdrawal of the suit, the Supreme Court will hear the formal application in September.
Disclosing this in a statement, Ikechukwu Okafor, his Special Assistant (Media) noted how Chidoka hailed Gov. Soludo’s achievements in urban renewal, digital governance, educational reform, and infrastructure, calling for continuity to sustain the gains of the past three years.
“Soludo is the only son of Anambra who has kept money for the whole of Nigeria and today, he is keeping Anambra’s money with care, vision, and discipline.”
Quoting an Igbo proverb “Ula t?ba uto, ekwobeya ekwobe”, Chief Chidoka likened Gov Soludo’s governance to sweet sleep: “When sleep is sweet, you don’t wake up, you roll over and enjoy it again.
“Let’s not break the rhythm. Let the Solution continue. Let Od??k? finish the course.”
Politics
Constitution Review Must Facilitate National Unity, Good Governance, Economic Growth – Gov Yusuf
He made this known through his Chief of Staff, Sulaiman Wali, who delivered a goodwill message on his behalf at the opening of the North West Zonal Public Hearing on the constitutional review, held in Kano on Saturday.
Welcoming the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and other delegates to the state, the governor described the assignment as a vital step in Nigeria’s democratic advancement.
“It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to Kano, the distinguished members of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for this very important national assignment. I equally welcome the citizens and stakeholders who have visited here today to deliberate on the future of our great nation. We are particularly delighted that Kano, a state that stands tall in population, history, and political consciousness, is privileged to host this iconic event,” he said.
He noted that the public hearing comes at a critical time in Nigeria’s political development, offering an opportunity for citizens to actively shape the nation’s legal and constitutional framework.
“Today’s engagement speaks to the heart of our democratic journey as a people. It reflects not only our collective commitment at strengthening the institutions of governance but also our shared aspiration to build a more inclusive, accountable, and resilient democratic society.
“This public hearing provides a vital platform for citizens to actively participate in shaping the legal and constitutional framework that governs them, thereby reinforcing the fundamental principles of transparency, representation, and justice, which underpin any thriving democracy”, he said.
Governor Yusuf emphasized the centrality of the Constitution in nation-building, describing it as the “soul of governance.”
“The Constitution of any nation is the soul of its governance structure and processes, the compass of its justice, and the foundation upon which the collective aspirations of citizens rest. The Constitution, without doubt, defines the relationship between the government and the governed, and sets the foundation for the overall progress of the society. Therefore, reviewing it must be treated with the seriousness, fairness, and inclusiveness it deserves,” he noted.
The governor further urged that the review should be people-driven and promote equity across all sections of the country.
“It is imperative to underscore the fact that this review must, of necessity, be about creating a Constitution that works for all — North and South, men and women, young and old. It should be a vehicle that facilitates the strengthening of national unity, enhancing good governance, and fostering economic growth and development. Any amendment should, therefore, reflect the aspirations of our people and the realities of our time,” he stressed.
Quoting American jurist, Cameron Smith, the message called for deepened transparency and accountability in governance.
“We must enshrine principles that will guarantee equal opportunities, reduce tension, and promote a truly inclusive federalism,” he added.
Governor Yusuf also commended the leadership of the National Assembly and the constitutional review committee for what he called “a timely and necessary” national duty.
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