NAN – The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) in Sokoto state said it had so far distributed over 1,527,004 Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs) across the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Alhaji Abubakar Saddique disclosed this to news men in Sokoto on Monday.
Saddique said that the cards were distributed in 3,035 polling units across the 23 local governments of the state.
” We received 1,659,043 PVCs from Abuja, while 1,527,004 were distributed, leaving a balance of 132, 039 cards which are being distributed.
” It is fortunate for us that our national headquarters had graciously extended the period for the collection of the cards to March, 22.
” The commission in the state is using all means at its disposal to ensure that any registered voter gets his or her PVC, so as not to disenfranchise anybody,” he said.
The Commissioner further stated that the distribution of the cards had been decentralized to the registration areas.
He said that the commission had configured and allocated no fewer than 4,223 card readers across the state, for use during the elections.
.He appealed to the registered voters in the state to come out en masse and collect their PVCs.
The REC further announced that the commission had since begun the distribution of all non- sensitize election materials to the 23 local government areas of the state.
” We had also received over 90 per cent of the sensitive materials like ballot papers, result sheets and other sundry forms.
” They are being kept at the Sokoto branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) for safe custody,” he explained.
Saddique maintained that INEC in the state was fully ready for the forthcoming general elections.
” We had since recruited and trained over 20,000 ad hoc staff, drawn from the NYSC, Universities and other federal agencies in the state,” he added.
Also speaking, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity Unit of the commission in the state, Alhaji Musa Muhammad , stated that massive campaigns were being mounted to ensure the peaceful conduct of the polls.
” A lot of sponsored programmes and jingles are being aired on the broadcast media, while an interface is being conducted with people living with disability, youths groups and others.
” Rallies are also being organized in markets, while meetings were conducted with traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders in this direction,” Muhammad, said.
