Gyang Bere, Jos
A National Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) supervising Niger, Kaduna and Plateau states, Prof. Anthonia Simbine, has lamented that with 31 days to the presidential elections, millions of PVCs are yet to be collected across the country, informing that 343, 469 PVCs alone are yet to be collected in Plateau State.
She explained that the commission had fixed January 16-21, 2019, for the collection of PVCs at designated centres at the ward levels and it will return to the commission’s local government headquarters for distribution of the PVCs until February 8, 2019.
Prof. Simbine disclosed this on Tuesday in Jos during an interactive session with spiritual heads and religious leaders preparatory to 2019 general elections, held at Crest Hotel, Jos, Plateau State.
“The final register for the 2019 general elections stands at 84,004,084 voters. Here in Plateau, we have a total of 2,480,455 voters, 50.69 per cent (1,257,251) of whom are male and 49.39 per cent (1,223,204) are female. This is the register that was presented to each of the 91political parties on the f January 7. It is also the same register that will be available at each polling unit nationwide on election day.
“The commission has printed and delivered the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to the states for collection by registered voters. We urge all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to pick up their cards. For this purpose, INEC has specially arranged for those who are yet to collect their cards to do so at the designated centre in their wards from January 16 to 21, 2019.”
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She stressed that collection of PVCs nationwide would end on February 8, 2019, adding that anyone who did not collect his PVC before then would not be allowed to vote during the election.
“After January 21, the collection of PVCs will revert to the commission’s local government offices where registered voters can collect them till February 8, 2019. While we are encouraged by the level of the collection so far, millions of cards are still yet to be collected.
“As you are aware, the commission will not allow the collection of PVCs by proxy; so registered voters should endeavour to collect their cards personally without which no person can vote on election day.”
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Plateau State, Mallam Hussaini Halilu Pai, said INEC in the state received 512, 532 PVCs while only 169, 063 PVCs had been collected.
“We are left with the balance of 343, 469 uncollected PVCs across the state,” he stated.
Mallam Pai said all persons at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the state would be allowed to vote during the period, adding that INEC was working in collaboration with Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (PSEMA) to identified to persons for voter registration.
He said those who are in the hospitals and people who did not participate in the last voter registration would also not be allowed to vote.