A former Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Adetokunbo Pearse, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to find a solution to the issues surrounding the issuance of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) that all electorates are yet to get.

It is less than two months to the elections and there have been reports of irregularities with the PVC and some electorates have expressed fears that they may be disenfranchised.

But Mr Pearse expressed optimism that the electorates would still vote in the 2015 general elections.

He suggested that the INEC should allow individuals, who still have their old voters card to use that in the elections if the issue of the PVC would not be solved before the elections commence.

“INEC will be ready for elections as it has always been ready for elections.

“But they need to look for solution to the PVC issues that we are having. If it is not ready, those of us who have the temporary one from 2011 may go back to use that,” he suggested.

The INEC had said that only individuals with the PVC would be allowed to vote in the 2015 general elections.

But Mr Pearse said: “It will not only be gross irresponsibility on the part of INEC but dangerous to insist that without the PVC the electorate cannot vote. Basically a high percentage of Nigerians will not vote in the 2015 election”.

He, however, pointed out that there was a difference between the PVC not being ready and INEC conducting a free, fair and credible election.

The PDP member said that the electoral body would be taken to court if they disenfranchised some Nigerians.

A spokesman for the INEC, Mr Kayode Idowu, on Sunday said that the INEC was ready for the elections and would achieve between 70 to 80 per cent of the voters cards distribution before the elections.

Some threats of post-election violence had been issued by some individuals and these threats had become a thing of concern to some Nigerians and Mr Pearse cautioned political enthusiast to moderate their utterances to ensure that there would be relative peace after the elections.

“People should be very careful with what they say. What led to the insurgency in the north-east has a lot to do with the irresponsible rhetoric of the time; that there would be problems if the election was rigged.

“Right now we should be going after people who are bringing in arms before they use them. Nobody is above the law and once we begin to realise that, then we will have a much more peaceful country.”

He also said persons who issue threats of post-election violence after the 2015 election should be arrested and prosecuted, emphasising that when people are not held accountable for unlawful acts, crimes will continue.