By Emmanuel Oloniruha
#TrackNigeria – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) says
72,775,502 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), representing 86. 63 per cent of the
84,004,084 registered voters nationwide were collected at the deadline for the
collection of the cards.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja that 11,228,582 or 13.14 per cent of the printed cards were yet to be collected.
“At yesterday briefing, we promised
to make public detail information of collection of PVCs nationwide. The
commission as a matter of policy has said that no citizen can vote without PVC
issued by the commission and read by the Card Reader.
“Having announced the total number of registered voters and the distribution by
age, gender and occupation. The citizen deserves the right to know how many
PVCs had been collected across the country.
“The last day for the collection of PVCs was Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, out of the
84,004,084 registered voters, the total number of registered voters stands at
72,775,502, which represent 86 .83 per cent of the PVCs.’’
Yakubu however said that a total of 11,228,582 printed PVCs or 13. 7 per cent
were uncollected.
“Out of this figure 7,817,905 PVCs were carried over from the 2014 to 2016
registration exercise, while 3,410,677 are from the last CVR held between April
2017 and August 2018.
“All uncollected cards have been deposited with the CBN for custody.’’
Yakubu said that details of the information on PVCs on state by state were
available at the commission’s website, with the Infographic.
The chairman also disclosed that 19 states had fully deployed election
materials including the non-sensitive materials to the local government areas,
except for Bayelsa where materials would be deployed directly from the state
INEC office.
“There is no state that has not commenced deployment to local government areas.
In fact, 19 states have fully deployed.
“By the end of the day, all states and the FCT would have deployed, expect
Bayelsa State which is moving direct from our state office in Yenegoa to
Registration Area Centres (RACs) tomorrow.
“Tomorrow activities at the ward level will commence with the activation of the
RACs at 9 a.m, while the movement of personnel and materials will commence at
the midday.
“This is the last scheduled course to the last deployment to 119, 973 polling
units leading to the opening of polls at 8 a.m in the morning of Saturday,”
said the chief electoral officer.
On the welfare of the members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
participating in the election, Yakubu said that the commission was not happy
about images on social medial where NYSC members were seen sleeping on the
floor.
He said that the commission would provide water, electricity and other
facilities needed as well as security for the NYSC members.
He also said that the commission was working with the Nigerian Immigration
Service to extend the date for international observers who are on short term
entry visa, as well as ease their re-entry if they want to go and return to
observe state elections scheduled for March 9.
“In order to make the process easier, the NIS working with the commission is
granting extension of visa to all international observers that required such
facility.
“Similarly, the Immigration Service is also granting re-entry visa to all who
may wish to travel out of the country and return for the second part of the
election.
“In this regard the service has requested me to convene the decision to wave
the visa fees and all grants of such request expeditiously.
“The extension of stay or re-entry into the country will be granted gratis.’’
Yakubu said all affected international observers could approach the INEC
headquarters to get their visa renewed or extended gratis.
He appreciated the stakeholders for their continued understanding with the
commission.
While fielding questions from journalists, Yakubu said he has seen no reason
whatsoever contemplating to resign as INEC chairman, adding that “there is no
evidence that the commission efforts was been sabotaged’’. (NAN)