17th August, 2018
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that 114,448 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) produced are yet to be collected by their owners in the state.
Ahmad Mahmud, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, disclosed this on Friday while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
According to him, 37,000 uncollected PVCs were from the 2014 voter registration exercise.
“In the April 2017 continuous voter registration exercise, we were able to register 271,224 comprising: 155,879 males and 115,345 females.”
Mahmud said the state received 117,863 newly printed PVCs from INEC national headquarters, adding that only 40,415 had been collected leaving about 77,448 uncollected.
He described the failure of residents to pick their PVCs as worrisome, adding that Kebbi was among the states with the highest number of unclaimed PVCs.
The REC advised eligible voters in the state, who were yet to register, to avail themselves of the opportunity to be registered at INEC designated registration centers in the 21 local government areas.
“This is an opportunity for the sequel to the recent extension of the ongoing CVR exercise from August 17 to August 31 by the INEC,” he said.
The REC also promised to embark on an aggressive advocacy to overcome the challenge.
Mahmud said that his main objective was to conduct free, fair and acceptable elections in the state that would be acceptable to Nigerians and the international community.