Posted by The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that the collection of the Permanent Voter’s Cards will start on September 11, 2023, in the states of Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections.
This was said in a statement released on Tuesday and signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
The final list of candidates for the off-cycle governorship elections in the states of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi was approved by INEC on June 6, 2023.
It stated that the permission complied with the Electoral Act’s requirement that the list be published no later than 150 days prior to election day.
18 political parties nominated candidates in Kogi, 17 in Imo, and 16 in Bayelsa, according to the final list.
The PVC collection, according to the Commission, was only for registered voters who were unable to pick up theirs before the process was suspended on February 5, 2023, in advance of the subsequent general election.
The following is an excerpt from the statement: “In continuation of our preparations for the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in the states of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi, the Commission has approved the resumption of Permanent Voters’ Cards collection for registered voters who were unable to do so before the exercise was suspended on February 5, 2023, ahead of the most recent General Election.
“On Saturday, November 11, 2023, governorship elections will only take place in the three States covered by the current exercise.
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“The PVCs will be available for collection at all our Local Government area offices in the three States: eight in Bayelsa, 27 in Imo, and 21 in Kogi,” insisted INEC, insisting that the deadline for PVC collecting will not be extended.
The Commission has also established additional specified locations with a significant volume of uncollected PVCs. The Resident Electoral Commissioners in the three States will provide information about each center.
The collection of PVCs will take place for a total of four weeks, from September 11 to October 9, 2023, on weekdays (Monday through Friday) from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm.
The commission also highlighted the redeployment of two resident electoral commissioners to other States.
Given the upcoming off-cycle governorship election, Mr. Obo Effanga, the REC for Edo State, takes over in Bayelsa State, and Professor Ayobami Salami relocates from Ekiti State to Lagos.
Following the expiration of the last bearers of the positions, “the two States are among those without RECs,” he continued.
The Commission additionally urged all political parties and candidates to behave peacefully throughout their ongoing campaigns and to refrain from saying or doing anything that could disrupt the peace.
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