Inec to distribute 1m PVCs across Lagos State as from Wednesday in battle against voter apathy

NIGERIA'S Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) is to step up the distribution of about 1m unclaimed permanent voters cards to the 245 wards across Lagos State as part of a last ditch attempt to ensure everyone gets to vote.

With a total of 5.8m registered voters, Lagos States has the highest numbers of voting members of the public in Nigeria but so far, many of them have not collected their PVCs. Inec spokesman Femi Akinbiyi, said that in a bid to ensure people did get to vote, the commission is stepping up its distribution plans and ensuring that the PVCs are available for collection as from Wednesday at the registration areas and wards across the state.

Mr Akinbiyi said: “Inec in Lagos State will, as from Wednesday, January 16, devolve the collection of permanent voters cards to the 245 registration areas in the state. This exercise, which will come to an end on January 21, will include Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm each day and is to make collection of PVCs easier for Lagosians.

“The commission, therefore, enjoins all those that have registered but have not collected their cards to make use of the opportunity afforded by the commission to collect their PVCs, as there will be no extension after February 8, 2019. About 1m cards had yet to be collected across 8,462 polling units in the state."

He added that after January 21, the collection will be reverted to Inec’s offices in the 20 local government areas and other designated centres in the state. According to Mr Akinbiyi, the distribution of the PVCs at the local government levels would be sustained until February 8, the last day for collection of voter’s cards for the 2019 general elections.