INEC expresses worry as 6.7million Nigerians fail to collect PVCs in 17 states

Data obtained from the state offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday has revealed that no fewer than 6.7 million Nigerians have yet to collect their permanent voter cards less than eight weeks before the general elections.

The data showed that 6.7 m PVCs were locked up in INEC safes across 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Kemi Filani recalls that INEC had announced that the collection window for PVCs will end on January 22.

The INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, disclosed in a statement that with effect from January 6 -15,2023 the collection of the PVCs will be devolved to the ward level after which collection would be moved to the local government areas.

Data from the Lagos state INEC office revealed that as of December 29, a total of 1,693,963 PVCs remained uncollected. This was disclosed in a document tagged ‘INEC Lagos PVCs Reports.’

Findings further indicate that the FCT has 460,643 uncollected PVCs as of December 24.

A document obtained from INEC revealed that the Abuja Municipal Area Council had the highest number of uncollected PVCs in the FCT.

In Edo state, 661,783 voter cards have not been collected as of December 29 while

Ondo and Ekiti states had 300,000 and 205,127 cards, respectively, as of December 15.

In Osun State, 437,454 PVCs have not been collected by eligible voters as of November and in Plateau, 49,000 voter cards are still with the state INEC office.

No fewer than 231, 900 voters have yet to pick their cards in Gombe state as of December 20. Similarly, 132,623 PVCs remained uncollected in Anambra as of December 8.

Data released from Niger state as at November 27,2022 revealed that 150,988 PVCs have not been uncollected while the Adamawa state INEC office revealed that it had over 200,000 PVCs lying idle as at November 18,2022.

According to INEC’s Head of Voter Education in Cross River, Tonia Nwobi, 409,604 PVCs were still in the custody of the commission as December 16.

Other states with a huge catalogue of voter cards include Oyo, 700,000; Kwara, 120,602; Borno, 80,117; Ogun, 400,000 and Edo, 661,783, Kogi, 160,966 and Imo, 300,000.