INEC: Over 300,000 PVCs Uncollected in Ondo

Fidelis David in Akure

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in Ondo State yesterday  said a total 313,200 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be  collected in the state.

The commission had fixed Monday 12 December 2022 to Sunday 22 January 2023 as the dates for the collection of PVCs in all the 774 Local Government Offices of the Commission throughout the Federation.

But the  state Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC), Dr Rufus Oloruntoyin Akeju said 313,200 cards are yet to be collected,  while  briefing journalists on the level of preparedness towards the general elections.

According to Akeju, a total number of register voters as at now in Ondo State is 2,047,598, while the total PVC received as at 31st October, 2022  was  1,843,516.

His words: “Total PVC distributed as at 31st October, 2022 is 1,531,974; total Uncollected PVC as at 31st October, 2022 is 313,200;  total number of Polling Units is 3,933; total number of Registration Area (RA) is 203”.

According to him, “the number of Collation Centres  is as follow: RA Collation centers,  203; LGA Collation Centers is 18; state Constituency Collation Centers is 26; Federal Constituency Collation Centers is 9; Senatorial District Collation Centers is 3 and State Collation Center is one,” he said.

He assured the people that  INEC  would  always work  to deliver a free, fair, smooth, successful and acceptable elections.

Akeju noted that sensitive and non- sensitive election materials including 3,933 BVAS;  5,329 ballot boxes;  23,598 sleeping mats; 4,130 gum and  2,224 voting cubicles have so far been taken delivery of in the state.

“On our own part, we are aware of other activities and their timelines as provided by the Electoral Act 2022 and as such, we are working assiduously in ensuring that the activities are carried out as scheduled and we’ve done BVAS Evaluation and Training; meeting with election stakeholders; determination of security architectures for the state through meetings with Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election security, (ICCES) among others.

 “Education, enlightenment, awareness and mobilization of the public on Electoral processes for the 2023 general elections has since commenced in Ondo State. However, for adequate sensitization of the public, the Voter Education and Publicity Department in Ondo State has branded a Toyota Hilux for this purpose”, he added.