With a few days to the closing of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) by INEC, dozens of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Niger State have decried lack of access to registration centres.
Daily Trust gathered that over 500 IDPs from Madaka and Manta, Rafi and Shiroro local governments who lived in Maikunkele and adjoining villages in Bosso LGA of the State have not registered.
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The IDPs in Maikunkele told our correspondent that aside from those who wanted to transfer their PVCs from Rafi LGA to Maikunkele, many others wanted to register for the first time.
An IDP, Abdulmalik Ibrahim Madaka, Chairman Madaka Development Forum, Rafi LGA said: “The situation we are in Maikunkele regarding voter’s card, we have so many of our youths that are 18 years but have not gotten their PVCs.
“We have spent over two years as IDPs in Maikunkele, even though Niger State Government doesn’t recognize us as IDP camps since we are residing in Maikunkele Community. We deserve to be given our rights, the right of franchise. So many of us have lost our PVCs at home because of banditry and many of us don’t have PVCs while others want to transfer theirs’ from Rafi to Maikunkele.
“The information received was that INEC has fixed the closing date for voter registration which is 31st July, just about 12 days. And without PVC, I don’t know how the people of Madaka community here can cast their votes. In this camp alone, we have more than 500 eligible voters that have no PVCs. Many other people live in villages around Maikunkele.”
