Residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State have lamented over the difficulties in processing and collecting their Permanent Voters Card (PVC).
During a constituency stakeholder meeting on Thursday themed: “2023 General Election: The Imperative of Permanent Voters Cards”, the residents appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relocate its Ikorodu office.
Speaking at the programme, Chairman, Ikorodu Community Development Committee(CDC) Lukman Shonibare, said the office was located at the edge of a corner, inside the Government Residential Area(GRA) with heavy security officials that restricted movement, making access to the office difficult.
According to Shonibare, the location of INEC office has discouraged some of the residents from processing their PVC.
He said: “We want to call on our lawmaker to help see to our plight because the distance of INEC office has discouraged lots of people.”
“Most times, you will spend all your energy walking before getting to their office. We need the office relocated to a place that will be easily accessible to all.”
Similarly, a resident Azeez Olushugbo, urged INEC to increase their staff strength as more residents were interested in participating in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Olushugbo added that the officials should bring the registration closer to the people by moving around all the communities of the constituency, instead of staying in their offices.
Responding to the outcry, Ikorodu resident INEC officer Olutoyin Aiyeleso said their demands could only be possible if the community provided space to construct another office.
She added that members of staff do not have the capacity to move their office to another place.
“What you are requesting for can only be done if you provide space and construct another INEC office.”
“The office was built by INEC and we are just members of staff, so we don’t have the capacity to move our office to another place.”
The Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and lawmaker representing Ikorodu constituency 1, Sanai Agunbiade in his response, assured them that all the challenges highlighted would be adequately addressed to ensure seamless processing and collection.