The Delta State Administrative Secretary of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony yesterday disclosed that no fewer than 152, 239 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be picked up their owners.
Nonetheless, the commission has kept on with the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise which has led to the registration of 131, 116 in the first and second quarters of 2018.
Further, Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony, who spoke in Asaba yesterday, said that the Commission has deployed 30 additional Direct Data Capture machines to enhance electoral process in the State.
“At the commencement of the CVR, we had a total number of 163, 690, in 2017, 6,347 PVCs were collected for the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2018, 5,104 PVCs have been collected leaving a balance of 152,239 uncollected PVCs in Delta State”.
However, she said that the commission registered 2,275,264 voters in Delta state before the commencement of the CVR in 2015 saying that the commission has received 168,402 PVCs in 2017 including those who applied for transfer both inter states as well as intra state.
INEC Admin. Secretary while saying that the Commission has over 168,000 PVCs ready for collection noted that “The Commission has fixed Monday the 21st of May, 2018 as the commencement date for the collection of PVCs for those who registered in the CVR exercise in 2017”.
“The 2019 general election is exactly 274 days away from now and the Commission is already in election mode as numerous pre-election activities have commenced. Training of various categories of Staff are ongoing.
“A credible Voter Register is germane to the success of any election.This Commission is committed to giving to Nigerian people a credible free and fair election that is inclusive”, she said.
Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony called on all stateholders in the state to partner with the Commission in sensitising the electorates on the importance of registering and collecting their PVCs.
INEC Boss urged the youths to shun violence and join efforts with the Commission in ensuring a violence free process while appealing to the political class not to embark on political campaigns as it violates the provision of the law.
