By Daniel Edu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a resolute statement, confirming that it will not extend the deadline for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa States.
Speaking on behalf of INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, and Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Gabriel Longpet, it was firmly asserted that the October 9, 2023 deadline for PVC collection will not be prolonged in these three states, leading up to the November 11 polls.
INEC expressed concern over the substantial number of uncollected PVCs, with a staggering 241,715 still outstanding in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa states.
Breaking down the figures, INEC revealed that Kogi State accounts for 107,715 uncollected cards, while Bayelsa records 134,000 PVCs yet to be collected.
These states are set to hold governorship elections on November 11, and Mr. Oyekanmi clarified that the ongoing PVC collection initiative exclusively caters to registered voters in these states who couldn’t retrieve their PVCs before the suspension of the activity on February 5, 2023, following the general election.
He stated, “The commission is not contemplating an extension of the PVC collection exercise at this point. Registered voters who have not collected their PVCs still have a two-week window to do so. Historically, more people tend to act closer to deadlines, which is not an ideal practice. This places undue pressure on our state offices and is unfair. The sooner voters collect their PVCs, the better.”
Echoing this sentiment, Kogi State REC Dr. Longpet reiterated that there would be no extension of the previously scheduled time frame for PVC collection. He explained, “There will be no time extension since we had initially allotted four weeks for the collection. This is not a nationwide exercise, and the cards available are remnants from prior collections.”
Providing an update on the number of PVCs collected thus far, Dr. Longpet stated, “Based on the daily reports received, 11,307 PVCs have been collected as of September 21, out of a total of 119,022. We still have two weeks to go. We have been broadcasting and encouraging people in various local languages to collect their PVCs, including translations in Ebira, Igala, Okun, Nupe, Hausa, and English.”
In Imo State, Resident Electoral Commissioner Prof. Sylvia Agu confirmed that INEC resumed the issuance of PVCs on September 11 and emphasized that there were no plans for an extension. Prof. Agu revealed, “INEC still has approximately 134,000 uncollected PVCs in Imo, located at the 27 local government council secretariats across the state. I urge Imo residents to retrieve their PVCs from the INEC offices in their respective council areas, with Orlu Local Government Area residents directed to collect theirs at the state office in Owerri. Besides the local government offices, INEC has established additional collection centers for Registration Areas with over 1,000 uncollected PVCs. It’s essential to note that PVCs cannot be collected through proxies and must be exchanged with the Temporary Voter Cards. INEC has also gathered phone numbers of PVC owners in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi for bulk SMS notifications.”
