From Priscilla Ediare (Ado-Ekiti), Layi Olarewaju (Ilorin), Geoffrey Anyanwu (Enugu), Abel Leonard (Lafia), Femi Folaranmi (Yenagoa), Tony John (Port Harcourt), Obinna Odogwu (Awka), Chijioke Agwu (Abakaliki), Okey Sampson (Umuahia), Paul Osuyi (Asaba), Emmanuel Adeyemi (Lokoja), Stanley Uzoaru (Owerri), Scholastica Onyeka (Makurdi), Olanrewaju Lawal (Birnin Kebbi), Lateef Dada (Osogbo), Noah Ebije (Kaduna), Ighomuaye Lucky (Benin), and Gyang Bere (Jos)
The ongoing collection of the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and the devolution of the exercise to various wards across the country are throwing up mix fortunes for many.
Our correspondents who combed the states returned with startling tales of joy and pain being expressed by registrants who are eager to pick up their PVCs to vote in the forthcoming February and March elections.
But despite the excitement showed by many who wanted to be part of the election, it is still shocking that massive numbers of people are yet to collect their cards, despite the awareness programmes mounted to enable them to do so. INEC in beginning the collection of PVCs on December 12 last year announced that it would close on January 22. But the Commission last week said that it was impressed by the turnout of registrants and surge in the number of PVCs collected across the country and, therefore, has extended the closing date to January 29.
Ekiti State: Low turnout; 204, 477 PVCs uncollected
There has been low turnout of people for the collection of PVCs in Ekiti State.
But officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been on ground to distribute the PVCs
In most of the collection centres in Ado-Ekiti, only few people turned out to collect their PVCs.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof Ayobami Salami, who expressed concern over the situation said: “The turnout of the people of Ekiti State has not really been encouraging; we have been recording very low turnout.
“We we have a total of 988,923 people that registered, their PVCs printed, but out of this total, as of January 6, we only have 784,446 people who have collected their PVCs. As of January 6, we had with us a total of 204, 477 PVCs that had not been collected.
“So, I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our people to come out and collect their PVCs.
“Now, we have devolved the distribution of the PVCs to the registration areas and ward levels. In all the wards we have our staff to attend to people.”
A registrant, Ibitoye Lateef Olatunde, told Sunday Sun that he collected his PVC at St. Michael’s Primary School, Ajilosun.
He expressed happiness that he went through a seamless process.
Mrs Yetunde Bello, who collected her PVC at St. Thomas Primary School, Irona, said: “They attended to me on time. This is because there was no queue; there weren’t many people there.”
Daniel Olajide, who collected his PVC at SUBEB Primary School, Okesa, said: “I was here before, but I didn’t see my PVC. I went to INEC office along Bank Road, but didn’t see my PVC there too. But I eventually got it; I’m happy I did.”
Enugu State: Low turnout; 329, 870 yet to be collected
In Enugu State, the collection of the PVCs is moving on smoothly.
But a total of 329, 870 PVCs are yet to be collected by registered voters as of January 10.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, said that before the ongoing PVCs distribution exercise that started on December 12, last year, the number of uncollected PVCs stood at 381,332.
Included in the number were the 127,665 PVCs uncollected before 2019 general elections and before the commencement of the continuous voters registration last year.
Chukwu disclosed that the continuous voters registration exercise last year recorded 263,567 registrants, bringing the total number of the uncollected PVCs to 381,332 before the commencement of the distribution of PVCs as at December 12, last year.
“We started this PVC distribution exercise on December 12, 2022 at local government offices of the INEC. On January 6, we moved down to the wards to ensure that people got the cards; we will leave the wards on January 15 and return back to the LGA offices of INEC to continue the distribution till January 22, when it will be concluded.
“In the first week of the distribution exercise, 5,000 persons collected their PVCs. Also, 10,360, 5,949 and 30,053 collected in the second, third and fourth weeks respectively, totaling 51,362 PVCs so far collected as of January 10, 2023.
“So far, the total number of uncollected PVCs as of January 10, stands at 329,870. INEC officials are currently in the 260 Registration Areas (wards).”
With the new collections, the number of PVCs collected so far in Enugu State is said to be 1,506,336 ahead of next month’s elections.
However, the REC expressed sadness over the low turn of eligible voters in collecting their PVCs, warning that not doing so would deprive the country a lot.
Our correspondent reports that residents were excited at collecting their PVCs. They called on INEC to increase the number of staff issuing the cards to enhance easy collection.
At Okpara Square, PVC centre, Maryanne Ogudu, who collected her card, explained that she did not wait for too long before picking it up.
Nasarawa State: PVC collection smooth; 75,903 cards yet to be collected
INEC Head of Department, Voter Registration in Nasarawa State, Ibrahim Onawu, disclosed that the total number of registered voters in the state stood at 1, 222,697.
He added that out of the newly registered voters, 46,794 of them had collected their cards, while 75, 903 others were yet to pick up theirs as at Monday, January 9.
He said that the distribution process had encouraged a lot of voters to come to collect their PVCs since the devolution of the collection to the centres.
Some prospective voters seen around the INEC office in Lafia expressed satisfaction with the level of distribution, describing it as hitch free.
Ifeanyi Eze, a business man, said that the devolution was the right thing to do as it was easier to collect the cards compare to the registration exercise.
Bayelsa State: Poor information mars PVCs collection
Insufficient information on where exactly to collect the PVCs is causing confusion in the collection in Bayelsa State.
Most eligible voters who trooped out to the INEC local government offices in the state were directed to go back to their ward headquarters for the collection.
But most of them have not been able to locate where exactly some of the ward headquarters are.
Joshua Pinawei said that he was at Samphino Town Hall, Kpansia, presumed to be the headquarters of Ward 3, but was disappointed because there was nobody there to attend to him. He said that he proceeded to the INEC headquarters, Yenagoa Local Government Area, at Onopa, only to be redirected