Low collection of PVCs in Kogi, says INEC

Many registered voters in Kogi State are yet to claim their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) since the collection commenced in September 2022, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Hale Gabriel Longpet, decried.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner made the disclosure at a maiden Press briefing in Lokoja.

He lamented that citizens of the State have not responded positively to INEC’s call for people to go and collect their PVCs.

The REC explained that while the PVCs for those that registered between June 28th and July 31st will be ready this November, he said the Commission is working very hard to improve the process of PVC collection and to ensure that Nigerians have a pleasant experience when they go to collect their cards.

He disclosed that the total registered voters in the state stands at 1,939,365, adding that, the Commission is working with critical stakeholders to successfully undertake and ensure a hitch-free and credible 2023 general election.

While pointing out that the Commission has successfully carried out the distribution of some sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, the REC said training of personnel who would be handling some of the newly introduced technological devices that have been introduced through the electoral act 2022 is ongoing at National, Zonal, State and Local Government levels.

The Commissioner used the briefing to emphasize that there will be no going back on the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for voter accreditation as well as the electronic transmission of results to the INEC result Viewing Portal in real time on election day.

The Commission explained it will, in the next few days display the supplementary voter register in all the Wards and Local Government areas of Kogi State.