Most Nigerians With PVCs Not Likely To Vote

As the March 28 presidential election in Nigeria draws nearer there are strong indications that quite a number of eligible voters who have collected their Permanent Voters' Card (PVC) are likely not going to vote. My two-day survey shows that the major reason why most voters  won't turn-up is the fear of electoral violence. A man whom I chatted with told me he would deliberately refuse not to go to work on the eve of the election not minding the consequence that it would cause to his job. Quite a number of persons also said that there is no guarantee of their safety and would rather prefer to get plunged in a self-disenfranchisement than to go to polling booths where their safety may be compromised.

Another reason that appeared top in my survey is proximity. A good number of voters are no  more domiciled at the location where they got registered by the electoral body (INEC). Their challenge is the enervating task of moving from one location to another and the possibility of encountering unscrupulous political elements on their way.