The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is pleased with the turnout for the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) across the country ahead of the 2023 election.
Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, speaking at a Channels Television program, monitored by BizWatch Nigeria, on Friday, attributed the development to mobilization by leaders at various levels.
“The rate of PVC collection varies from one state to the other and from one place to the other.
“Some of the Resident Electoral Commissioners are sending daily reports to the Commission, some of them are sending reports every two days, and some are sending every week.
“So, we are still collating these reports.
“The National Commissioners are also supervising the collection of PVCs in the states that they supervise. But as of today, we are really encouraged by the turnout of people coming to collect.
“Community leaders are mobilizing, market women are mobilizing, religious leaders and traditional leaders are also mobilizing and people are coming out to collect their PVCs,” Okoye said.
The INEC National Commissioner, on the other hand, admitted that the Commission is having difficulties with those who are unsure how to collect their PVCs.
According to Okoye, INEC did not print PVCs for those who registered multiple times or twice because their old cards are still valid.
Those who have transferred their PVCs can pick up their new cards at the local government and registration areas where they intend to vote.
Okoye also stated that eligible people in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have been apprehended and will vote in the elections. He stated that this is in accordance with the Electoral Act.
“We have profiled all the persons in IDP camps. We know the number of persons in IDP camps, and we know the number of IDP camps in various states. So, we are going to configure all the IDP camps into registration areas and all persons who are in IDP camps who want to vote will have an opportunity to vote,” he added.
