Ahead of the 2027 general elections, electorates in Ekiti State been urged to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate actively in the electoral process to elect leaders of their choice.
An Allied Peoples Movement (APM) House of Assembly candidate Hon. Ayodeji Ogunbusuyi, who gave the urge
said PVC remained an essential instrument for eligible voters to exercise their democratic rights and determine who represents them in government.
Speaking during opening of his constituency office in Ido-Ekiti, the APM candidate, who is seeking to represent Ido/Osi Constituency I in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, admonished residents not to be carried away by promises of support from friends, associates and political sympathisers without taking necessary steps to obtain their PVCs and cast their votes on election day.
According to him, residents must move beyond verbal expressions of political support by turning out to vote for candidates they believe can represent their interests and respond to their needs.
He also encouraged voters to protect their votes during elections, stressing the importance of active participation in the democratic process.
The State Assembly hopeful said constituency office was established primarily to provide an accessible platform for residents to communicate their needs, offer suggestions and give feedback on issues affecting their communities.
He said, “What I am trying to tell my people is that it is very, very important for them to go out and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), because the PVC is their power to elect whoever they want to occupy a particular position.
“Sometimes, people may say they love you and promise to vote for you, but how can they do that without their PVCs? That is why I am appealing to them to go out and collect their PVCs. They should also ensure that they do not sit at home on election day.
“They should come out in their numbers to vote for the candidates of their choice, particularly those they believe will listen to them, respect their wishes and represent their interests. I urge them to come out on election day, cast their votes and defend their votes.
“The office was established primarily to receive feedback from the people. Sometimes, people may want to communicate with us, but we may not be available. They may also find it difficult to stop us on the street whenever they want to discuss issues affecting them.
“That is why we opened this office: to provide a convenient place where people can come and share their concerns, give us feedback and submit their requests on what they want us to do for them.
“Many times, a candidate may have a personal programme or agenda, but the people of the community may have other pressing needs and concerns. There is no way we can fully understand those needs if the people do not communicate them to us.
“By providing this office, we want the people to come forward with their suggestions and concerns so that we can coordinate, aggregate and incorporate their priorities into our own programme. That is the essence of opening this office.
“We will use this place to receive feedback from our people and also hold strategic meetings with them to discuss issues affecting the community and determine the best way forward.
“The office is open to everybody. It is not meant for members of our political party alone. People from other political parties are equally welcome to come and tell us what they want us to do, the direction they want us to take and the issues they want us to address.
“Although we are contesting under a political platform, we are here to represent everybody, irrespective of political affiliation. We are for all the people, and we want everyone to have the opportunity to communicate with us and contribute to the development of the community”.