1.4m PVCs yet to be collected in Lagos – Official

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State says there are 1, 425, 282 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected in the state.

The new Administrative Secretary of INEC in the state, Dr Mudashiru Mustapha disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Lagos.

He spoke on the sideline of the commission’s Stakeholders’ Meeting with political parties on Tuesday.

It was reported that the event, which had no fewer than 20 state chairmen of different political parties in attendance, was organised by INEC to seek support for the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).

The CVR exercise, scheduled to be flagged-off by the commission on April 27 nationwide, will also provide avenue for people who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so.

Mustapha said: “There are so many PVCs yet to be claimed by their owners in Lagos State. We want residents to go to INEC offices in each of the 20 Local Governments in the state.

“We want to canvass for the support of leaders of political parties for mobilisation of eligible residents for the forthcoming nationwide Continuous Voters Registration exercise.

“The commission needs your understanding, support and cooperation to mobilise residents for this continuous voters registration, even though we have done the needful in awareness campaign.

“There is no way we can achieve success without leaders of political parties, we want to solicit your support because you are closer to the people and live among them.

“Voter card is the power people have to elect their representatives, they must be encouraged to come out en masse and get registered. Help us sensitise and mobilise the people.”

Earlier, Mustapha assured the party representatives that the commission had put necessary measures to ensure a hitch free exercise.

Mrs Seye Soriyan, the Head of Department, ICT/Voters’ Registry, also highlighted the eligibility and procedures for the fresh registration, transfer and distribution of PVCs.

Soriyan said that the exercise would be from Monday to Friday every week between 9 a.m and 3.p.m. at the INEC office in each of the 20 local government areas of the state.

According to her, each of the local governments will have five Registration Area Officers who will register eligible residents and distribute PVCs ready for collection.

Soriyan said eligible persons for registration include those who turned 18 years after the last exercise in 2015 and those who did not register before.

She added that those who want to transfer their voting centres were also free to register during the exercise.

Soriyan explained that those registered would be given temporary Voter Cards, before their PVCs became ready after six months.

It was reported that party leaders at the meeting had urged the commission to make the exercise less stressful by decentralising it to the ward level.

Political parties represented at the meeting include All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, KOWA Party, Labour Party, Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others.