The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tuesday said contrary to suggestions that there is a hindrance in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the cards are being distributed to duly registered persons in Osun State since March 7th
INEC in a statement by Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, therefore urged every prospective voter in Osun State who is yet to collect his / her permanent voter’s card to urgently do so, ahead of the state governorship election scheduled for August 9, saying only registered voters with PVCs will be able to vote during the election.
According to INEC, ”This clarification is necessary against the backdrop of calls on the Commission in the last couple of days to ensure timely distribution of the PVCs.”
A political party had, at the weekend, accused INEC of being “ slow in processing the permanent voter cards;” while a non-governmental organisation, on Monday, urged the Commission to ensure timely distribution of PVCs before the governorship election – suggesting that the contrary is presently the case.
But INEC , according to the statement, said the Commission undertook polling unit level distribution of PVCs to registered voters in Osun State from Friday, 7th March, 2014 to Sunday, 9th March, 2014, simultaneously with the conduct of the exercise in Ekiti State.
“In line with INEC’s guideline for the exercise, uncollected PVCs were at the end of the polling unit level distribution in March taken to respective local government office of the Commission in the state for subsequent issuance to legitimate holders. The distribution at the local government level has been on-going since then.
“In other words, all PVCs yet to be collected are at the 30 local government offices of the Commission in Osun State, awaiting legitimate holders to come for them. But the Commission disallows proxy collection to prevent abuse of the cards by unscrupulous persons. Prospective voters in the August 9 election who are yet to collect their PVCs are therefore urged to do so in readiness for the election,” the statement further said.
