The National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS) has requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deploy the logistics to distribute the Permanent Voters Cards to the students who are in different institutions across the country.

The Association’s Public Relations Officer, Tope Giwa made this request in a statement on Thursday, indicating that students have the largest percentage of registered voters in the coming election and about three million of them face the challenge of being disenfranchised because of their ongoing academic activities that have prevented them from going to collect the PVCs at the designated centres.

Piqued by the situation, the students association stated that the electoral commission must ensure that the students who could not travel home to get their PVCs participate in the coming elections by distributing their voter cards to them in their respective institutions.

NANS further added that the participation of the huge students’ population will go a long way in determining the credibility of the coming polls.

But the INEC had stated repeatedly that the exercise is the collection of PVCs, not even by proxies and so may not have planned for the logistics of creating collection centres around the campuses. Again, in how many centres would INEC to take the cards to for the students to have access to them.

Mr Giwa also noted that the students and other Nigerians are monitoring the process and that the electorates are ready to make the country a better place through the coming polls.

He expatiated that the electoral commission is mandated to stay apolitical and not to be swayed by the influence of any political party. According to the statement, NANS urged the INEC to protect the integrity of the voters.

“INEC must not allow itself to be swayed by any political party or individual. We urge INEC to safeguard the will of the people and protect the integrity of their votes. Students who are on campus during the election are facing a unique challenge this time around.

“Many of these students have registered to vote on their campus, and they need to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exercise their right to vote. INEC must make provisions for these students to collect their PVCs, as they are a crucial part of the electorate and their participation in the election is essential for a fair and democratic process.

“As the election draws near, we call on the electoral commission (INEC) to fulfil its responsibilities and ensure a transparent, fair, and credible election process. As an association, we expect INEC to be impartial in their dealings and remain neutral, regardless of political affiliations.

Nigerians are closely monitoring INEC’s actions as this election holds great significance in our nation’s future. The people are eager to use this opportunity to bring change and overcome the challenges imposed by the current government.

“We, as an association, will continue to observe and monitor INEC’s activities. As students make up a large percentage of registered voters, we request INEC make voter ID cards (PVC) readily accessible on university campuses and not restrict student participation”.