By Lucky Isibor
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Tuesday, said about 73,109 Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, were yet to be collected in Edo State.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in the state, Emmanuel Alex-Hart disclosed this when he led members of the commission on a courtesy visit on the Edo Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benin City.
He said out of the 78, 398 PVCs ready for collection, only 5,259 had been collected as at June 11, 2018.
Alex-Hart said: “We decided to visit the NUJ to solicit for its collaboration, with a view to reaching out to the public on how to educate and enlighten them on the need to collect their PVCs before the 2019 general elections.
“It is unfortunate that over 73,109 PVCs are left at the INEC offices and are yet to be collected. I therefore want to encourage eligible voters, who registered in the state and are yet to collect their cards to come forward and get them.’’
The REC urged the electorate to take advantage provided by the commission to participate in the Continuous Voters Registration exercise.
He said that the exercise has offered opportunity for those yet to be registered to do so and those that have registered to collect their cards.
Responding, the Edo NUJ Chairman, Sir Roland Osakwe, expressed the readiness of the council to support INEC to project and propagate its activities ahead of the 2019 general elections.
He appealed to the commissioner to ensure that a free, fair and credible election is organized in the state, adding that, Nigerians are full of expectations that INEC would deliver on its promise for a credible election in 2019.
