Osun 2022: INEC begins distribution of PVCs to newly-registered voters in May

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, said that newly-registered voters in Osun would start collecting their permanent voter cards (PVCs) in May, ahead of the governorship election scheduled for July.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, Prof. Abdulganiyu Raji, disclosed this during a one-day “Voter Education and Implementation Workshop.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workship was organised for INEC senior staffers and partners in the state, in preparation for the July governorship election.

Raji said that the commission was already in custody of the PVCs of those who registered in the first two quarters of the continuous voter registration in the state, adding that it would be taking delivery of the last batch of PVCs before the end of the week.

“The PVCs of those who registered during the first and second quarters, that is, June 2021 to December 2021, are ready with us. However, we are waiting for the delivery of the ones for the third quarter this week. That is why we have not rolled out the PVCs.

“Hopefully by next week, we will roll out all the cards for those who registered between June 2021 and March this year.

“The cards are ready; they have all been printed, but we have taken delivery of those of the first and second quarters, while the third quarters will be delivered to us this week,” he said.

The REC decried the apathy in PVC collection in the state, stressing that lots of the cards had yet to be collected.

“We have over 370,000 PVCs for those between 2011 and 2018 that have yet to be collected,” he said.

Raji said that the workshop was aimed at sensitising people of the state about their civil rights, particularly as regards electioneering.

He also said that the programme was to update the participants, particularly on the new systems and procedures that INEC had put in place.

In his address, INEC National Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Ayodele Aluko, represented by his Deputy, Mrs Mary Nkem, said that the workshop was organised for to the participants to be abreast of the commission’s activities.

He also said that it was geared toward enhancing the electoral process and explaining the specific changes to the processes, all of which should ease and increase public participation in the upcoming governorship election in the state.

“The workshop is to sensitise the participants on procedures for safe participation in the electoral process and their responsibilities in getting the messages across to the electorate so as to build confidence and trust in the electoral process,” Raji said.