INEC officials storm Imo communities over unclaimed PVCs

Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Ezeonu, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will from today embark on a 15-day ‘Meet-the-People’ tour in the 644 autonomous communities in the state.

The tour was necessitated by the abandonment of over 500,000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in the various INEC offices in the 27 councils of the state.

Ezeonu had, few days ago, informed Imo people of the tour, especially as yuletide holiday-makers are in their ancestral homes.

He had expressed disgust that all the pleas and sensitisation efforts he made to the registrants to collect the cards fell on deaf ears.

An INEC official in the state, Sunday Adedoyin, stated yesterday that the tour would take the REC and other officials of the electoral umpire to every nook and cranny of the state within the period.

He stated: “INEC in Imo State is embarking on a Meet-the-People programme for PVC collection from Thursday, December 27, 2018 to Thursday January 10, 2019.”

“INEC will be visiting every autonomous community within the period with PVCs in the polling units within the community.

“Electoral officers have circulated the schedule for the visit to traditional rulers and town union presidents who are expected to mobilise their people.

“INEC enjoins all registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs, including those who applied for transfer or replacement, to avail themselves of this opportunity provided by the commission.

“Remember, the collection of PVCs is not by proxy.”