1.8m PVCs yet to be collected, says Lagos REC

• Govs urge use of temporary cards 

• Delta decentralizes collection points

THE Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, Mr. Akin Orebiyi has lamented that about 1,800,000 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected out of the four million received by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

   He, however, reiterated INEC’s commitment to creating a level-playing ground for all parties and their candidates.

   Speaking during a press conference in Lagos yesterday, Orebiyi called on residents of the state to ensure that they collect their PVCs. He said that the 245 collation centres across the state have now been designated as distribution points for the PVCs.

   He said the exercise would henceforth be possible seven days a week from January 16, 2015.

   He also disclosed that the state is yet to come up with a comprehensive list of candidates for various elective positions apart from the one released by the INEC in Abuja.

   Meanwhile, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State have advised INEC to consider using the 2011 temporary voter cards in the general elections. 

   Jang gave the advice yesterday when he received the new INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Godwin Kwangha, at the Government House in Jos. While Amosun said to ensure that registered voters who are yet to get their PVCs are not disfranchised in the forthcoming elections, INEC should allow them use the temporary voters’ card to cast their votes.

   The Plateau state governor said that in a developing democracy like Nigeria the expectation is for INEC to progressively improve on its previous records in the next elections. He, however, observed that from developments emerging from last year’s voter registration exercise, INEC must re-strategize to ensure that a large number of those who were not captured are not disenfranchised in the coming elections.

   He said he wants to make a request from INEC to consider the fate of those who register afresh as a result of not finding their names in the INEC list, adding that, “as a matter of fact, the state government, the traditional council, and the local councils have gone to court over the issue.

   “We are not reporting INEC but we are requesting that INEC should allow us to vote using the 2011 registration to cast our votes. And including me, even the governor, was not able to get permanent voter card.”

   Amosun, who spoke at Imeko in Imeko-Afon local council during his campaign tour to the area disclosed that he had already written to the State INEC Commissioner to ensure that no registered voter in the state is deprived of voting.

   “For credible elections, I challenge INEC to ensure that no registered voter is deprived of his right during the elections,” the governor emphasised

   Amosun told the crowd at the rally that if elected for second term, he would give priority to rural development. He also assured that he would ensure even development in all the 20 council areas of the state.

   And as Nigeria prepares for the general elections INEC has announced the decentralization of the distribution of PVCs from local council to ward levels. With this, registered voters will be able to collect their PVCs from the wards where they registered.

   A statement by the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah said that while logistics are being put in place for the collection of PVCs at ward level to be actualized, residents of Delta State are enjoined to go to the local council headquarters where they registered with their temporary cards to collect the PVCs.

   In Lagos, Lawyers under the aegis of Walk for Change (Walk4Change) took to streets yesterday to support the Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo presidential ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

   The National Coordinator of the group, Adesina Ogunlana, lead the lawyers through some major streets in Ikeja campaigning for a change of government at the federal level on February 14.

   According to him, the presidential candidate of the APC, Gen. Buhari and his vice, Prof. Osinbajo would bring integrity into governance of the country.

 While addressing the crowd at Alade market, he admonished them to ensure that they collect their PVC so as not to be disenfranchised on election day.