Premium Times
After weeks of waiting for the crowd at her registration centre to reduce, Lovelyn Asukwo (real name hidden) and her friends were introduced to an INEC official at the commission’s office in Area 10, Garki in Abuja.
The seven of them paid N2,000 each to the official and immediately got their Permanent Voters Card (PVC), two days to the 30 June initial deadline for registration.
Although voter registration is free, some corrupt officials have been taking advantage of the rush by Nigerians to beat the deadline for the exercise.
“I spent almost all my two weeks leave from office on queue before our HR spoke to a friend who linked us up with an INEC official in Area 10,” 23-years-old Ms Asukwo told PREMIUM TIMES.
Ms Asukwo had visited the same office four consecutive days but left each day in disappointment either due to the capturing machines being slow or staff resuming late.
However, after collecting N14,000 from them, the official advised Ms Asukwo and her friends to meet him at the office before 6 a.m.
“The entire process, including capturing, did not take up to 20 minutes. It was very fast,” she explained.
Commotion at registration centres and experiences like that of Ms Asukwo had forced INEC to extend its 30 June deadline for the exercise by one month. However, a week before the new deadline, crowds have disappeared at the registration centres in many parts of the country…
