PVC Collection Exposes PDP's Failure In Kwara State

As the 2015 General Elections draws nearer, Kwarans have trooped out in their hundreds of thousands to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC). The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara said that the distribution of PVCs across the 16 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state recorded a huge success as people showed up at their wards and polling units to collect their PVCs.

In Ilorin on Wednesday, Jacob Ayanda, the INEC Spokesperson said that the distribution of the PVCs is a continuous exercise. He also added that the electorate all around the country could still collect their cards up to 30 days before the commencement of the 2015 general elections.

Ayanda also commended the favourable outcome of the PVC distribution in the state, despite the criticism of the exercise by some political leaders in the state.

Many believe that if the PVC distribution exercise is an indicator of what to expect from the state in 2015, under the leadership of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki , the All Progressives Congress (APC) has presented itself as the political 'brand to beat.' Participants in the exercise said that they were more than likely to stick with the APC because of Sen.

Saraki's style of leadership which they said is “highly inclusive”. When asked, one participant who chose to remain anonymous said that the manner in which he (Senator Saraki) carries everyone along – even going as far as reaching out to many members in their respective wards, was the reason why he would continue to vote for APC.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the leading opposition party in the state has experienced crisis during the PVC exercise stemming from its inability to have a central leadership structure like the APC.

Many political observers also point to the fact that many of the PDP leaders seem to be out of touch with their base, as exemplified by PDP party chieftains like Jani Ibrahim, registering in Ilorin, as opposed to Offa his hometown. Dele Belgore, another leading member of the PDP and his supporters, were said to have been the catalyst for a fracas caused in areas of the state, after witnessing low turn out of PDP supporters in his polling unit and ward.

During the last Local Government elections, the APC won seats all over the 16 State LGAs. Many believe that this serves as evidence that the APC is poised to coast to a landlslide in 2015.