Traders in Lagos State and the entire South East will soon have to show proof of having Permanent Voter Cards before they are allowed to open their shops.
The demand comes following the decision of the leadership of the traders to get members to vote in the 2023 polls.
And the target of the leaders is for the traders to vote for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who they described as one of their own.
The development was confirmed by the leadership of the South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association and a viral video with an announcer going round the popular Alaba Market in Lagos State making the decision public.
In the viral video, the traders were told by the announcer to go and obtain their PVCs.
He said a day would come when the entire market would be locked in an Operation Show Your PVC.
The President-General and Secretary-General of the South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association, Chief Gozie Akudolu and Alex Okwudili, said in a statement that traders and their apprentices who are of voting age must obtain their PVC.
The statement said: “To this effect, the association is further directing traders in all markets to as a matter of urgency, mandate all traders together with all apprentices who are up to 18years and above, who are without voters cards to hurry to INEC registration centres close to them to register and collect their permanent voters cards.
“Those who registered around the markets but their residences are not close to the market, should use this opportunity to transfer to polling units close to them to enable them to vote with ease during elections.
“The Association directs that this information be given wide publicity in all the markets across the States.”
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