From: LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that about 240,000 permanent voters cards (PVCs) were yet to be collected by their respective owners in Kwara State.
Speaking at the stakeholders meeting, in Ilorin, on Tuesday, on the commencement of Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) and distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) scheduled to start on May 27, the executive secretary of INEC in Kwara state, Mr. Paul Atser, said the unclaimed PVC would be released to the owners on production of their temporary voters cards.
The INEC boss, who said that it is an electoral offence to engage in multiple voters registration or to register more than once, added that collection of voters card would not be by proxy.
He also said that the CVR exercise was to make voters registration exercise convenient and easy for people, especially those who had just attained age of 18 years, adding that only way to identify a genuine voter was through PVC.
Atser, who said that the unclaimed PVC could affect the governorship elections, added that the commission had requested civil organisations to monitor the process so that politicians do not hijack it.
“We are not issuing the cards by proxy; we are issuing them person by person so that we do not disenfranchise others by default”, he said.
He also said that the commission would use its core staff, who he said had their stake and career to protect during the CVR exercise, adding that all issues about the voter registration exercise would be addressed during the exercise.
“This continuous registration of voters which is to commence on Thursday this week, is going to last until the conduct of the 2019 presidential elections or as in the new electoral law at work in the National Assembly prescribes. It is not something for one or two weeks. So that people can go there in more relaxed atmosphere and do their registration.
“Three basic activities will be going on simultaneously. In addition to the continuous voters registration, we are going on with the transfer of voters and distribute permanent voters’ cards.
“All these activities are going to be taking place at the INEC offices in all the local government areas of the state and some peculiar locations.”
He said the essence is to “make elections hassle free and less expensive”.