The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) has revealed that less than half of the registered voters in Lagos State have picked up their Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
The Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Akin Orebiyi who made this known availed that of the 5.9 million registered voters in the state, about 4 million PVCs were made available but only 2.3 million PVCs have been picked up.
Orebiyi made this known on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 while speaking at a stakeholders meeting convened by the Nigeria Police Force aimed at ensuring a successful conduct of the February 2015 general election.
He besought Lagosians to come and pick up their PVCs so as to exercise their franchise, noting that Lagos State had one of the lowest turn out of citizens picking up their PVC.
Orebiyi further urged Nigerian politicians to make sure their supporters collect their PVCs as INEC had no plans to make use of Temporary Voters Card (TVCs) in the forthcoming polls.
He said: “INEC is ready to conduct this election. We have made all necessary preparations and even provided for plan B.
“Let me use this opportunity to apologise to the people on the issue of the PVCs, but here in Lagos, we have had four million PVCs since 2014 for the 5.9 million registered voters, but only 2.3 million have been collected. We have also taken delivery of 139 boxes of PVCs. People have not been coming forward to collect their PVC.
“There are various categories of people affected by the PVC: Those who registered in 2011 and whose PVCs are ready for collection now should go and collect them if they have not.
“For those who registered in 2011, who saw their names on the displayed register at the polling units, their cards will be at the collection centres by next week.
“INEC has not disenfranchised anyone, group, political party or any part of the country. We do not know what party they will vote for or in which part of the country they will be on election days.”
