The Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection deadline has been extended nationwide by one week by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
After the amenities were transferred to the wards and registration areas to facilitate
pickup by registrants, the electoral umpire set a deadline of January 22.
Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter
Education Committee, said in a statement issued yesterday that the decision was made after the Commission’s regular meeting, which also covered other topics.
He claimed that the increased number of PVCs gathered across the federation and the increase in registered voters’ turnout was encouraging signs for INEC.
As many as 100,000 PVCs have been gathered in various states in the past five days
since the devolution to the ward level began on January 6, 2023, according to Okoye.
Before the upcoming elections, the Commission is committed to making sure that
registered voters have plenty of time to pick up their PVCs. As a result, the PVC collection period has been extended by eight (seven) days. The
PVC collection will last until January 29, 2023, rather than concluding on January 22, 2023.
Currently, the collection window is from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day
(including Saturdays and Sundays)
The collection by location has been therefore adjusted as follows as a result of this
extension: From January 16 through January 22, 2023, collection at the Registration
Area (Ward) level is extended by one every week.
From January 23 through January 29, 2023, collection at the local government level will continue.
He further stated that the Commission was looking into claims of extortion by
employees at some collection centers and coercion of some dishonest voters to bypass procedures to receive their PVCs.
Okoye stated that those found guilty would face punishment and/or legal action.
Additionally, the Commission is troubled by claims of discriminatory PVC issuance in
some regions, he stated. It’s illegal to do this. All lawful registrants have a right to their PVCs and the ability to use them to cast their ballots on election day in any location in the nation where they are registered.
Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) have been ordered to make sure that such
activities don’t happen anywhere in the country and to take swift disciplinary action
against offenders.
For the record, all new valid registrants and applicants for card transfers or
replacements have received 13,868,441 PVCs from the Commission.
However, issuing officers should gather any complaints regarding the lack of available cards and forward them to their immediate supervisors for the attention of RECs, who will gather and convey them for required action.
