Kaduna State INEC Expresses Concern Over 269,787 Unclaimed PVCs … Says, LGA Offices remain open for Collection

Kaduna State INEC Expresses Concern Over 269,787 Unclaimed PVCs

… Says, LGA Offices remain open for Collection

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, North-West, NIGERIA

The Independent National Electoral Commission has expressed concern over unclaimed PVCs   lying in its office. The total of 269,787 PVCs it said are yet to be collected.

This was disclosed to newsmen by the Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Kaugama in a press conference held at the INEC Secretariat Kaduna over the weekend.

He said the reason for extending the exercise to the 31^st of August, was to give every eligible Nigerian the opportunity to participate in the 2019 general election.

The end of the voters registration exercise the Commissioner emphasized does not affect the collection of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as the collection continues to a week before the general election while urging those that have not collected theirs to do so as the INEC offices in the 23 Local Government Areas across the state remain open from 8am daily till evening.

His words: “As you are aware, the independent National Electoral Commission had extended the deadline for voter registration from August 31^st, 2018 with a view to affording the public the opportunity to vote next year.

“The Commissioner wishes to inform the public that the ongoing collection of PVCs will not end with the Continuous Voters Registration CVR Exercise. Collection of PVCs will continue until a week before the general elections in 2019.

The Commission he informed has set aside 4^th to 8^th of September for the display of voters’ lists, hearing of claims and objections.

“With the conclusion of the CVR exercise, the public is expected to come for the display, hearing of claims and objections from Tuesday, 4^th to Saturday 8^{th September,} 2018 at our LGA offices.

“Let me seize this opportunity to call on all those yet to collect their PVCs to do so at our LGA offices which will remain open always, while those who registered, got transferred, lost or whose PVCs are yet to be printed etc. to be rest assured of getting their PVCs before the general elections.

The CVR exercise in Kaduna state has so far recorded the following. He announced.

Fresh registration: 537,874 comprising of 302, 342 male and 235,532 female.

Collected PVCs: 52,507; Uncollected PVCs: 269,787; Corrections: 29,179; Defaced: 4,018 (This refers to the PVCs which have been tempered with or not kept well by the owners which calls for correction); Lost: 17,298; Yet to be printed: 9,622 (up t0 2017); Inter-state transfer: (From other states to Kaduna) 8,239; Intra-state transfer: (-within the state) 19,434”.

While answering questions as to the commitments on the part of the INEC officials during the exercise considering the fact that some people despite the enthusiasm shown were still not able to register even with the extension of the exercise.

Kaugama said, no extension should be expected. He had attributed such cases to the non-challant attitude on the part of some people who always wait for the last hour rush.

“I am appealing to those who were not able to register to come and register after 2019 general election because it is a continuous voters’ registration exercise. On the 18^th   of this month, l went round down to Kaduna south, Zonkwa and Kaura and so on, the turnout was very low but two days ago when l went back to the same areas, come and see how the crowd was”. He said.

The Commissioner had assured the public of INEC’s commitments to conducting free, fair and credible election come 2019 general election..