Plateau: High Rate Of PVCs Collection But Some Communities Wait In Vain

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Plateau State has said the shift in polls recently has put them in a vantage position to put the necessary things in proper order.

  Head of Electoral Operations in the state, Mr. Kundu Yagba said that INEC has received 1,359,805 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) out of which it has distributed 1,072,352 at the initial stage, which amounted to 78.9 per cent. He said emphatically that INEC was fully prepared as all necessary materials have been received.

  Kundu further pointed out that as at January 19 this year, additional 47,895 PVCs were distributed by the Commission, stressing the process was ongoing.  He advised members of the public to go to their various INEC local secretariats to collect their PVCs.

  The spokesman of INEC in the state, Osaretin Imahiyereobo, told The Guardian that the electoral body has always been ready for the general elections, adding that the postponement will only strengthen the body further in its preparation and readiness.

  Osaretin added that the shift would help the body to be 100 per cent ready and prepared enough. 

  Besides, most of the prospective voters commended INEC for making available the PVCs for easy collection. According to one Joseph, the situation has changed from what it used to be before the election shift.

  “In fact, we would have been disenfranchised if the elections were not postponed. But now, we can beat our chests that come March 28 and other subsequent elections, we are going to participate actively,” he said. 

   Kokoh Destiny is a youth corps member engaged by INEC as an ad-hoc staff for the elections. He said that all corps members engaged for the elections have been trained on the job, adding that they are about to commence operation.

  He said that since the security agencies in the state have assured INEC in the state of their full cooperation and security cover, there should be no fear at all. He believes that the elections would be free, fair, credible and acceptable to all as INEC was more than ready this time.

  Osaretin, who is also the Deputy Director, voter Education and Publicity, disclosed that no citizen would be allowed to vote until his PVC has been screened by the machines. He disclosed that the Commission in the state has received card readers, which he said would be used in the conduct of the elections.

  He further disclosed that the problem with the distribution of permanent voter cards in the state was not that the cards were not available for distribution but the inability of the eligible voters to know their collection centres, which he said informed the need to decentralise the centres.

  However, there were still some communities in the state who have not collected their PVCs and this informed the chairman, Kanke local council, Mr. Ishaku Gotau’s recent appeal to INEC for the release of PVCs meant for the council, saying “we are deeply troubled over the non-release of our PVCs.”

  Gotau, who spoke on Thursday added: “My people are worried that up till date their PVCs have not yet arrived the council for distribution, more so that elections are fast approaching. As you could see elections are fast approaching and we do not have the weapons to fight the battle of electing those who should lead us in the next phase of democracy.

  “I am strongly appealing to INEC to hasten up and bring our PVCs to us. It appears to us that only Kanke is left out in the release of the PVCs. We are not comfortable with this development. In fact, we are feeling empty and off-guard because, to us, it amounts to going to war without the necessary weapons to fight the battle.”