PVCs’ ready for Collection as Sanwo-Olu Picks PVC; INEC begins distribution nationwide

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs’ across the country. Citizens are to collect between 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily including weekends.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to the residents of the State, who are of voting age to pick up their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), from the various Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in their localities.

He made the appeal on Monday when he stopped by at INEC office in the Sura area of Lagos Island Local Government Area to pick up his reprinted PVC alongside the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and some of his cabinet members.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a few months ago redesignated his location and updated his details, having moved his polling unit from Ikoyi to Lagos Island, ahead of next year’s governorship election.

The Governor reminded the people that it is only when they collect their PVCs that they would be able to exercise their franchise during next year’s general elections.

He said: “Today, INEC officially started the collection of PVCs and because I did a redesignation of my address of where I was and where I am now, I had to move my polling unit.

“I am here to demonstrate to all our citizens that I have complied. I have come to pick up my reprinted Voter’s Card and I want to enjoin everyone to use this opportunity to go out and pick their PVCs.

“I have collected mine and you can see that I am at the INEC office here, and it is peaceful. Within two minutes they sorted it out and I signed to collect my own. So my advice is for all of us that still have our PVCs uncollected to please come out and do the rightful thing.

“It is only with this that you can participate in next year’s election. I wish all of us the very best and as we go into this exercise, I hope that it is something that is worth it very seriously as another civic responsibility.”

Registered voters are encouraged to collect their PVCs on time as it’s the only they will be eligible to vote.

The electoral umpire urges voters to collect their PVCs between the hours of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm every day including Saturdays and Sundays as without PVCs they can’t vote.

It is seventy-four days to the forthcoming 2023 general elections and the electoral umpire has put measures in place to ensure free fair and credible elections one of which is the collection and use of PVCs.

INEC has advised Nigerians Who have registered to go out and collect their PVCs as it is the only way they will be eligible to vote.

This is provided in section forty-seven of the electoral act 2022.

But some registrants are unhappy about the way the authorities have organized the activities at some INEC centres as they were waiting outside for long hours.

They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to do more to ensure that Nigerians get their Permanent Voter Cards and guard against disenfranchisement in the coming Elections.

They said now that Voting is no longer accepted without the Permanent Voter Cards, it is imperative that the Commission does much better in ensuring that the process of collecting it is seamless.