By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu
The Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI), an NGO, has urged INEC to recommence PVC collection ahead of the Nov. 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.
Mr Nonso Orakwe, Executive Director, CATYCOI, in collaboration with Inclusive Friends Association, and Women in Politics Forum, made the call on Tuesday in Awka.
Orakwa said that recommencing the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection would ensure that all eligible voters were able to vote in the forthcoming governorship elections in states.
According to him, between Dec. 2022 and Feb. 2023, INEC registered more than 10 million new voters, of which about four million of the voters were disenfranchised as they were unable to collect their PVCs.
Orakwe said before the 2023 general elections, INEC held a voter register of 93,469,008 registered voters out of which 87,209,007 had collected their PVCs while 6,259,229 PVCs were uncollected.
According to him, the number of uncollected PVCs may have the effect of disenfranchising many in the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states on Nov. 11.
“Recall that after several extensions, INEC ended the PVC collection on Feb. 5, and the three states had (and still have) a combined total of 305,495 uncollected PVCs.
“That is, the total number of uncollected PVCs in Bayelsa state stood at 46,967, Imo state, 139,583, and Kogi state, 118,945.
“We appeal to INEC to recommence PVC collection in these states, to sustain the interest of women, young persons and persons with disability in the electoral processes.
He said it would further increase civic engagement and democratic participation in Nigeria, thus deepening the relatively nascent democracy.
Orakwe said it was mandatory for INEC to issue PVCs to eligible registered voters by virtue of Section 16(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.
According to him, this is to ensure that all eligible registered voters are able to exercise their franchise as guaranteed under the Constitution. (NAN)
