Posted by The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given the states of Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo permission to resume collecting Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from September 11 to October 9.
Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, said this on Tuesday in Abuja.
Olumekun claimed that the approval was issued as part of INEC’s ongoing preparations for the next off-cycle governorship elections, which would take place in the three states on November 11.
According to him, the exercise was only for registered voters in the three states who were unable to obtain their PVCs prior to the activity’s suspension on February 5.
“All of our local government area offices in the three states—eight in Bayelsa, twenty-seven in Imo, and twenty-one in Kogi—will have PVCs accessible for pickup.
The commission has also established additional specified locations with a significant volume of uncollected PVCs.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the three States will make information regarding all centers available.
For a period of four weeks, from September 11 to October 9, the commission has designated weekdays (Monday through Friday) from 9am to 3pm for the collecting of PVCs, he stated.
Two RECs have been redeployed to different states, according to Olumekun, who also noted the related development.
In anticipation of the upcoming off-cycle governorship election, Mr. Obo Effanga, the REC for Edo, assumes leadership in Bayelsa, while Prof. Ayobami Salami relocates from Ekiti to Lagos.
Following the expiration of the last bearers of the posts, “The two states are among those without RECs,” he claimed.
He 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.