Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged citizens to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general election.
He recently revealed that the PVC is the most powerful tool to end bad leadership and reduce electoral fraud.
Speaking via a press statement titled “PVC is the bridge to a New Nigeria,” Obi said that for Nigerians to build a better Nigeria in the near future, voter participation must be encouraged among citizens.
According to him, the PVC is “the voice of the voiceless, the shield of the weak, and the weapon of the poor for a better life, against injustice and bad leadership,” so it is important for Nigerians to “get organised and make election rigging difficult. Go out, register, collect your PVC, and hold it firmly as your bridge to a new Nigeria.”
He warned citizens against selling votes to corrupt politicians, stressing that they would be selling their future in the process.
“Today, I want to plead with every Nigerian, young and old to heed this call to action. The future of our dear nation is in your hands. The greatest strength of democracy is in the voter’s card,” it read.
He further noted that Nigerians who buy votes only to sell should realize that they would be investing in corruption that would derail the quality of their lives as citizens.
Emphasising that the future of Nigeria is in the hands of Nigerians, the Labour Party member maintained that the greatest strength of democracy lies in the voter’s card.
Obi concluded by saying that PVCs will be the bridge to a new Nigeria if the people use it correctly when the time comes.
“PVC is the bridge to a New Nigeria
Today, I want to plead with every Nigerian, young and old to heed this call to action.
The future of our dear nation is in your hands. The greatest strength of democracy is in the voter’s card. Your PVC is the voice of the voiceless, the…
Let us know this: those who buy votes are not offering you charity; they only invest in their own corruption. They buy votes so that they can buy their way into our treasury to steal public money. When they get into that office, they will loot the funds that should have been used to build schools, hospitals or provide good jobs. Such people are not leaders, they are criminals in disguise. They are no better than killers, armed robbers, and kidnappers, because they commit the same crime of destruction.
To those who sell their votes, you are not just selling an election, you are selling the very opportunities that would have lifted you and your family out of poverty. You are selling the schools that your children should have attended, the hospitals that should save your loved ones and the jobs that would have given you dignity and a better life.
Our democracy is at stake. That is why I urge every eligible Nigerian to register, collect, and safeguard your PVC, and when the time comes, use it wisely. Vote for leaders of competence, character, capacity, and compassion. Leaders who will put you first. Do not be intimidated, do not be deceived, and do not be bought,” he added.
