PVC collection: Labour Party youths advocate date extension, holiday for students
By Angela Atabo
Abuja ,Jan. 27,2023
The Labour Party (LP) Youth chapter on Friday called for a one-week holiday for students to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The Acting Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja.
Ahanotu also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the closure of the PVC collection date for 14 days to the elections.
He said that the gesture would enable the youth in schools to travel to the various places they registered to collect their PVCs to participate in the coming elections.
“Today the youth in Nigeria want to take part in taking back their country by contributing towards the New Nigerian agenda via the ballot, and they must not be disenfranchised.
“This is because many believe that a better Nigeria is possible with Mr. Peter Obi and Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed.
“Given the above narratives and the need to have free, fair, credible and all-inclusive elections in 2023; I hereby categorically state that it will be highly unacceptable for such number of citizens to be denied the opportunity to cast their votes due to academic calendar.”
Ahanotu, therefore, called on the Federal Government, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), National Universities Commission (NUC), State Governments and other private university owners to give effect to the call.
He said it was necessary to give the one-week holiday for students in higher Institutions to go home and collect their PVCs given the INEC deadline.
He said that the LP youth also called on the Federal Government to give automatic one week holiday for students to travel for the general elections holding on Feb. 25.
Ahanotu said the LP youth group was also concerned about the numerous targeted violent attacks on the party’s Youth Leaders, Women Leaders and Obidients across the country.
He said that this was especially in Lagos, Kaduna and Enugu States among others, adding that it was, therefore, very vital for his office to address newsmen to draw attention to the condemnable situation.
According to him, it has become highly necessary to passionately demand from the Nigeria Police to arrest and bring to book those individuals who are perpetrating evil on fellow citizens alongside their sponsors.
The youth leader said that recently one of the LP youth leaders in Lagos was brutally attacked for pasting a campaign poster.
He also recalled that the LP women leader in Kaduna was murdered in cold blood with the injured husband now amputated putting the young children under an uncertain future.
“Hence there is an urgent need for the Police and law enforcement agents to brace up as the election approaches in protection of our innocent citizens to avoid chaos, total breakdown of law and order across the country.
“Finally, I urge all Nigerian youths and students to maintain peace. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and no Nigerian is more Nigerian than others.
“A Nigerian in Lagos is a Nigerian whether Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba or other tribes. We must take back our country with our PVCs come 25th February 2023,” he stressed.
Ahanotu also called on Nigerian youths to vote for someone with competence, capacity, and character, a person who they can trust, who is passionate about their future and someone whose political track record and antecedents reflect modern day democratic leadership.
He said that without fear of contradiction such character is found in the Labour Party (LP)’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and his Vice-Presidential Candidate, Sen Datti Baba-Ahmed.
