The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council in the South-West has lamented the low rate of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collection in the region with few weeks left before the February 25 poll. 

“Council decries the low rate of collection of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and announces the immediate launch of ‘Operation collect Your PVC’ across all the states in the South-West,” it said in a communique after a meeting held at the Tinubu/Shettima campaign office in Akure.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the council’s coordinator in the South-West and Isaacs Kekemeke (deputy coordinator) signed the communique. 

In the communique, they explained the need for the South-West to return “massive votes” for the victory of the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu. 

The campaign council asked the governors of APC-controlled states in the region to immediately declare Tuesday as a work-free day to mobilise for collecting the PVCs. It also advised the governors to deploy all state-owned mass media machinery towards mobilisation and voter education. 

“In furtherance to the foregoing, council enjoins governors of all APC controlled states to declare Tuesday, 24th January 2023 as a work-free day to aid the collection of PVC,” added the statement.

It added, “Council directs the setting up of polling units mobilisation committees across all the Southwest States and also decides that all Party leaders and government functionaries at the Federal and State levels should return immediately to their respective local governments, wards, and units to lead the campaigns and voter mobilisation activities.” 

The council appealed to PCC to “urgently release funds to all campaign directorates, most especially the youth directorate,” to enhance the campaign and mobilisation activities.

“Council frowns at reported cases of anti-party activities of some leaders and appointees and therefore calls on the National Working Committee (NWC) to deal decisively with any party member engaging in anti-party activities,” said the statement.