Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in Delta State, Rev. Monday Udoh-Tom, has disclosed that more than 330,000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) were still in the custody of the commission because their owners were yet to collect them across the 25 local government areas of the state.
He warned that the figure of uncollected PVCs in the state was bound to increase when the state INEC office took delivery by November of the expected voter’s cards for people who registered between January and July this year.
The Delta REC disclosed this during the inauguration of the Executive Committee of Delta State chapter of the INEC Press Corps (IPC) at the state secretariat of the commission in Asaba.
He expressed concern about the situation, lamenting that the development was coming at a time the commission was poised to better its performance in conducting the 2023 general election, adding that the situation informed the determination of INEC to embark on sensitisation programme involving aggressive mobilisation for collection of PVC as well as voting at election, hence the PVC collection sensitisation programme.
According to the Delta REC, the state still has 244,715 uncollected PVCs from the 2019 general election while some 69,946 uncollected PVCs were for those that registered between June and December 2021 and 17,000 transferred PVCs, bringing the stock of PVCs being held by the commission to 331,661 still lying in the commission’s offices in the 25 local government areas of the state.
The REC said that the situation would be worsened as additional PVCs for those who registered between January and July 2022 would definitely swell the stock of PVCs with the commission, pleading with registrants to endeavour to collect their cards to enable them exercise their franchise in 2023.
He disclosed that the commission officials have begun advocacy visits to certain strategic organisation.
“The commission expects that, by the end of November, we will receive more PVCs, hence our desire to embark on the aggressive mobilisation for registrants to collect their PVCs, through the PVC collection/political campaigns sensitisation, which has so far taken us to the State House of Assembly.
He however expressed delight at the inauguration of the Delta IPC, urging the media practitioners to join hands with the commission to ensure that registrants came forward to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs), which is still ongoing at the respective local government offices across the state.
“Please permit me to recall that in 2019 the number of registered voters in Delta State stood at 2, 831,206, while 2,470,924 PVCs were collected, leaving over 244,900 uncollected and only 1,188,784 voted in both national and state elections, leaving out about 1.6 million, who did not show up on election day to exercise their franchise.
“IPC should engage the political parties, who are the beneficiaries of the PVCs, to be actively involved in encouraging and mobilising their supporters to collect their PVCs.”
While congratulating the members of the new Executive Committee of INEC Press Corps Delta State, the state REC described the press corps as a “very important addition to the interface” between the commission and the different stakeholders.
“It is significant to mention here that your induction at the state level will benefit the media, particularly in understanding the language and nuances of political reporting and, by extension, activities of INEC, more so now that the Electoral Act 2022 has devoted a significant portion to what is expected of the media, in the political process, particularly Sections 94 and 96 of the Act.
