Ibrahim Auwal is from Funtua in Katsina State. He is a water vendor in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. He is one among many others who have vowed not to sell their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for monetary gains, even as he struggles to survive. OIBOH PETER writes on the optimistic vendor.
As the struggle to get his daily bread continues, Auwal Ibrahim, a water vendor, who hails from Funtua in Katsina State, and lives in Nyanya, Abuja says he would not sell his voters’ card despite the hardship that he faces in Abuja. The vendor is one amongst many Nigerians who have vowed not to sell their voters’ card for any reason, even though politicians have been trying to entice them with bags of rice and cash.
According to Auwal, “one fateful day, as I went out to do my business with some of my friends at the point where we fetch water, we were discussing as usual and I was asked if I would sell my PVC for N10,000. I was shocked by the statement. Since then, I have being under pressure to sell my voters’ card. I was told by my friends that a certain unnamed lady asked them to look out for people with PVCs so that she could buy them.”
It is no longer news that some people are taking advantage of the extension given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the collection of PVCs to perpetuate dubious agenda. In a chat with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the water vendor said that he is confident he will vote in the election even though he is under pressure to sell his voters’ card.
Auwal, who continuously expressed his optimism about voting with his PVC, added that he took the pains to travel from Abuja to Funtua, his home town, to register during the INEC registration process. He stated that the orientation he had on the forthcoming election from INEC gives him confidence to participate in the elections.
The water vendor said he had been eager to get a voters’ card so that he could participate in the elections, saying that was why he made out time to travel to Funtua to collect his PVC. He reiterated that he has decided to vote for candidates of his choice no matter any amount of money anybody will give to him.
Reacting to the shift of the general elections, he said he was not happy about it because he had arrived Katsina, his state of origin, for the voting before the news came to him that the elections had been postponed. According to him, the little money he gathered from the water business was spent on travelling to the village for the election.
According to Musa Abu, brother to Auwal, “some crooks that want to make money from politicians and continue to increase the suffering of Nigerians have deviced means of buying voters cards from the public. One however, wonders how they want to make use of the PVCs being purchased. Investigations revealed that hawkers around town who have their voters cards are being enticed with little amounts of money to sell the card.
Also, there was a speculation that some political campaigners go from house to house convincing the less privileged in the society with food items and cash to get their votes. According to Francis Momoh, one of the hawker, who has had a first hand experience, some people came to him saying they needed those that have the PVCs and that they are ready to pay any amount of money. He said he will not be a victim of crooks.
Meanwhile, one of the reasons for the shift in the election dates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was for all registered voters to use the opportunity to collect their PVCs from the commission. No doubt some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are still struggling to collect their PVCs just like voters in other parts of the country. Auwal travelled on two occasions to Funtua before he got his voters card.
In a city like the FCT, where the cost of living is on the high side, for someone like Auwal and others, shelter is a big challenge, what they feed on comes from their businesses every day. Ordinarily, it will be difficult to believe that the water vendor had to travel from Abuja to register and collect his PVC against the 2015 elections, but the power to make any change depends on votes.
and prospective voters are not leaving any stone unturned.
Posted by , Published at Sunday, March 01, 2015 and have
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