Over 22, 000 Unclaimed PVCs Yet To Be Collected In Yobe, Says REC

WITH the disqualification of over 200, 000 voters by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for “multiple registration” in 2011 in Yobe State, the total eligible voters for this year’s general

elections in the state stood at 1.1 million, with 22, 000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected, Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Habu Zarma has disclosed.

  Zarma made this revelation Friday at a stakeholders’ meeting in Damaturu, the state capital, on how to distribute 12 per cent of the remaining unclaimed PVCs in the state.

  He said the electoral body has succeeded in distributing only 88 per cent of the PVCs for the March and April 2015 general elections.

  “The Commission’s success in distributing 88 per cent of delivered PVCs in this state was a clear indication that the electorate are gearing up for the forthcoming elections slated for March and April

this year,” said Zarma.

  Zarma, however, expressed regrets that over 22,000 PVCs are yet to be claimed by Damaturu voters.

  He, therefore, called on affected eligible voters to go out and collect their voter’s cards in order to exercise their franchise at the polls.

  The REC also introduced the stakeholders to the Card Reader, urging them to discourage people from buying PVCs from the people, as technology will disqualify such voters at the polls. 

Zarma also disclosed that 1.3 million people of the state were initially registered during the voter card exercise, but many were disqualified for multiple registrations and the figure dropped to 1.1

million.

  He said the postponement of the election would give more room for refresher training for the stakeholders and election officers, among others,

to increase perfection ahead of the election.