The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced that 336,445 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from the 1,543,787 received in Ondo State are yet to be collected.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mr. Olusegun Agbaje said this at a news conference in Akure, the state capital.
It was organised to sensitise the public on the plan of the commission to conduct a Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise between Wednesday, June 22 and Sunday, June 26.
He said within February and yesterday, only 1,585 voters have collected their PVCs.
The REC said so far about 1,207,342 voters have collected their PVCs.
Agbaje, who claimed that the commission began distribution of the PVCs in February 1, urged people who have registered, but yet to collect their cards to visit INEC offices in their councils for the collection.
He appealed to those who are coming for the new registration to collect their cards within five days after they might have registered at their respective INEC offices in their local government areas.
The REC assured residents that the exercise would be credible as the commission had put in place strategies for the success of the programme.
He explained that the commission had configured 396 Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDCMs) for 203 registration areas and 193 voting points.
He added that the INEC had recruited 792 Assistant Registration Officers made up of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and INEC officers to handle the DDC machines. Another 203 documentation and distribution officers, he said, had been engaged to handle transfer cases and distribution of PVCs yet to be collected in the 203 registration centres.
Agbaje said the commission would not allow any form of malpractices during the exercise, warning that registration would not be done by proxy.
“Let me sound a note of caution to those who might want to misuse this opportunity by engaging in any form of illicit activity such as mobilising people from one place to register in another place, especially in areas that share boundaries with the neighbouring states of Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Edo and Kogi as well as encouraging under-age registration.
“They are hereby warned to desist from any of these acts as the full weight of the law would be brought against anyone caught acting in contravention to the relevant laws during the exercise.
“The Electoral Act, 2010 as amended is very clear on what constitute offences during the voter registration exercise in Sections 117, 120,121, 122, 123 and 124.
“For the avoidance of doubt, anyone who engages in double /multiple registration is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both,” he said.
He stressed that security agents would be mobilized during the exercise to ensure strict compliance to law and order.
Agbaje said the commission is ready to conduct a free, fair, credible and acceptable governorship election come November 26.
The INEC boss hinted that the commission would soon embark on enlightenment and sensitisation campaigns ahead of the election.
He added that the formal flag-off of voters’ education would hold this week.
The commission boss urged stakeholders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, political party leaders, security agencies, non-government organisations (NGO) as well as individuals to assist the commission to deliver successfully before, during and after the election.