The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State has urged the public to pick their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2023 elections.
A statement yesterday by the spokesperson, Mrs. Geraldine Ekelemu, reads: “INEC wishes to inform the public that the voter cards for registrations between June and December 2021 are ready for pick up in the INEC offices, and in the local government areas from April 26, between 9am and 3pm.
“On no account should anyone’s card be collected by proxy.”
The Commission has also begun distributing over 23,000 PVCs in Ebonyi State.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr Joseph Chukwuemeka, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, said the PVCs being distributed are from the registration done during the first and second quarter phases of the exercise.
Chukwuemeka called on prospective voters who registered during the period to visit the INEC local government area offices to collect their cards as collection would not be done by proxy.
He said: “We took delivery of 23,248 PVCs from the INEC headquarters in Abuja on April 20, and distribution has started. The cards are from the first and second quarter registrations that started on June 28, 2021 and ended February. 14.
“I appeal to all eligible voters who registered within this period to avail themselves of the opportunity and collect their card.”
Chukwuemeka, who gave a statistical breakdown of the first and second quarter registrations, said the commission registered over 58,228 voters.
According to him, 23,248 were valid registrations while 34,980 (60.1 per cent) were recorded as invalid.
The REC also announced that the commission had started off-line registration aimed at capturing prospective voters living in areas without effective telephone network coverage.
According to him, the commission had deployed 14 machines to each of the 13 councils in the state and the INEC state headquarters for the exercise. He said the commission was poised to ensure that every eligible voter was registered irrespective of area of residence.
“The off-line registration affords people living in remote areas without effective network to be captured; the machine and software meant for such areas have been provided. We have activated the process and machines have been deployed to the various remote areas where they will be used to register the people,” he added.