INEC extends PVC collection to March 22

The Independent National Electoral Commission
has extended the deadline for collection of
Permanent Voter Cards across the country by
additional two weeks.
The collection deadline which was fixed for March
8, will continue until March 22.
The commission in a statement issued in Abuja
on Sunday by the Chief Press Secretary to the
chairman of the commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu,
said the latest extension offered the last
opportunity for duly registered persons to collect
their PVCs before the general elections scheduled
for March 28 and April 11.
“INEC hereby calls on registered persons that are
yet to collect their PVCs to use this last
opportunity in doing so, in order to participate in
the forthcoming general elections,” Idowu added.
The commission said on Wednesday that it has
succeeded in distributing 80.24 per cent of the
Permanent Voter Cards to their owners.
This figure indicated that 55,232,874 out of the
68,833,476 registered voters had picked their
PVCs.
Out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital
Territory, Ogun State remains the only state that
had yet to reach 50 per cent PVC collection.
In the state, only 47.27 per cent of the 1,829,534
registered voters had picked their PVCs.
This showed that only 864,292 voters had
collected their PVCs.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Resident Electoral
Commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, on Sunday
dismissed the speculation making the rounds that
the National Electoral Commissioners and the
State Resident Electoral Commissioners had
resolved to pass a vote of no confidence on the
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega,
to pave the way for his removal from office.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Agbaje
declared that the speculation was the handiwork
of lazy politicians who were out to distract the
attention of Jega, discredit the commission and
cause confusion in the land ahead of the
elections.