Your PVC Is Useless

if using it on election day is the only time you use it to ‘advance’ our democracy and improve the governance of Nigeria.

I used to be a preacher of the ‘Get Your PVC’ mantra. I am not one to talk with strangers in vehicles but the fire in me to help improve Nigeria makes me have conversations about governance with them. So you would see me arguing with them about how we need to get our PVCs (Permanent Voters Cards) and vote and all that. That was how much I was passionate about getting people out to vote and exercise their rights. A few months ago, I had to agree with the conclusion of most of the people I engaged with that our PVCs are really useless.

I agree with their conclusion but I do not agree with the premises via which they reached the conclusion. Most of those who have this belief say they will not get their PVCs because the elections will be rigged therefore they would just have wasted their time and effort. The matter of elections being rigged is not the subject for today.

My own premise for our PVCs being useless is that ever since democracy started, the options are usually between the devil and the deep blue sea. Case in point the 2015 elections, both candidates (the two main ones o, I know there were others) in my opinion were not good options but those were the options we were handed. It looks like the story is about to repeat itself again in 2019. Last elections, we picked what looked like the deep blue sea and now we are drowning. What will happen in 2019?

Young Nigerians, until we get to that stage where we have made significant input into the selection of the options that the entire country gets, our PVCs are going to remain useless. The highest they will be is bargaining chips with the devil. How is it that in a country of about 200 million people, most of the final options we get are basically ‘skom’? The way things are set up right now in Nigeria is that voting is a moot effort as it will not lead to having the right leaders at the helm of affairs.

We need to do more than get our PVCs and go out to vote. That should be the lowest form of involvement we have. For crying out loud, are you folks not tired of the way your country is? Why do we keep sitting down and waiting to vote someone in or out of power. There is a whole lot more that we need to do if Nigeria is going to better! Things like

1. Getting active with policy advocacy: This comes first for ME because it is something I am passionate about. I think generally as a country we have a good number of silly policies and we are not very progressive and innovative in the way we form policies. Do not take my word on this, I am still studying the entire thing. Do your own study and do what you can around you. I am not just talking about national policies here, policies at the local levels matter, so do policies in industries.
2. Joining or forming a political party: This is important because we need to help contribute to what makes up the manifestos of the party and the aspirants, the constitution of the party and other defining factors. We also need to be part of those who objectively make it through the primaries of our parties. We need to be part of those who influence decisions, we need to stop being the hapless recipients of those decisions.
3. Volunteering for credible candidates: You do not have to join the presidential campaign team to do this. Is there a credible person running for a seat in the State Assembly or any of the other many seats that we have? Is there something you can to make the said candidate more appealing to the masses? Can you help the candidate refine her plans for the office she is running for? Can you just even make noise online or offline for her? Get involved and do your bit.

These are just some of the many things we can do outside getting our PVC and going out to vote. I will be happy to read more suggestions in the comment section.

Before I end this, I have to mention that we must increase our financial influence. Whether we like it or not, he who pays the piper dictates the tune. We need more young people to have money, that is the plain truth. Legit money biko. Let us get more creative, more daring and do what we can to increase that influence. The good thing is that these things sort of work in a positive feedback mechanism loop. Good policies and good leadership will create an environment to gain legit financial influence which in turn gives you more leverage to help institute better policies and better leadership and the cycle goes on.

I just need all of us to become more proactive with our frustrations with the country. Channel all that anger, disgust and what not towards pushing for change that benefits ALL of us. Pick an action and start walking your talk. Stop talking and just complaining. Let our PVCs become useful indeed. Let us work to ensure that we have a plethora of good options before us. Enough of the cycle of the devil and the deep blue sea!

Selah…..