THE National Association of Seadogs, Pyrate Confraternity, has charged Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Card, PVC before the deadline of August 31.
The confraternity also urged those who have not registered for the PVC to visit any of the permanent registration centres in all 774 local government INEC offices and do so before the end of the registration exercise.
The call was made in FCT, Abuja on Saturday during ‘Our Votes Count’ awareness campaign carried out by the members of NAS, Sahara deck.
Seadogs dressed in white t-shirt and black jeans distributed fliers, and addressed market women in Utako Market as well as motorists and pedestrians in the neighbourhood.
They also visited the popular Jabi Lake park where they encouraged Abuja residents to collect their PVC before the deadline.
Speaking before the commencement of the campaign tour, John Oke, the National Publicity Secretary of NAS said, Our Votes Count campaign is one of the Pyrate Confraternity’s social advocacy initiatives focusing on political education.
The NAS’s spokesperson expressed concern over non-collection of more than 7 million voter cards 180 days to the general election.
In 2015 presidential election, only 29.4 million Nigerians voted, out of which 15.4 million votes decided the president, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission data.
Oke said it is important the voice of every Nigerian is heard through their vote.
“If your vote doesn’t count, your voice doesn’t count. If you don’t participate in the election, you can’t get the best to serve.”
The awareness campaign was led by the cap’n of Sahara deck, Stanley Nwodo. According to him, the Sahara deck of NAS decided to embark on the campaign because “we think everybody should be collectively involved in the drive for the emancipation of the Nigerians.”
He said the campaign is designed for online and offline channels to target both the youths and adult voters. This will include a radio jingle and Twitter blast.
“Through our jingle, which will be aired from Monday, we hope the message will reach every home.”
The immediate past scribe of NAS, Sahara deck, Edem Hogan said participation in the electoral system is a key duty for all citizens of voting age. And the entry point is getting registered, he said.
“We are aware that getting PVC is difficult in some areas, but we want Nigerians to know that this is a duty we owe our country.”
INEC has extended Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to 31st August 2018. The exercise will continue in all the designated registration centres every day, including weekends, but excluding public holidays, between 9 am and 5 pm.
The Commission has however assured Nigerians that ongoing collection of PVCs will not end with the CVR exercise.
“Collection of PVCs will continue until close to the general elections,” INEC has said.