By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
All is set for the December 12, 2022 commencement of nationwide collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) by Nigerians who want to exercise their voting rights in next year’s general election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed Monday, December 12, 2022 to Sunday January 22, 2023 as the dates for the collection of PVCs by Nigerians in all the 774 Local Government Area (LGA) Offices of the Commission throughout the federation.
The decision to decentralise the PVC collection by the general public was taken by INEC a fortnight ago after the retreat held in Lagos with all the Commission’s Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory from November 28 to December 2, 2022.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye had also disclosed that the Commission at the retreat finalised the procedure as well as the timetable for collection of PVCs by Nigerians across the country, pointing out that the Commission also resolved to devolve PVC collection to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards from Friday 6 to Sunday January 15, 2023 to ensure a seamless exercise.
According to him those that are unable to collect their PVCs at the LGA Offices of the Commission can do so at the Registration Areas/Electoral Wards.
Said he: “After the 15th of January 2023, the exercise will revert to the Local Government Offices of the Commission until 22nd January 2023”.
Meanwhile, all eligible and valid registrants can collect their PVCs from 9.00am to 3.00pm daily, including Saturdays and Sundays.
Prompt News reports that the Commission has advised Nigerians, especially those who registered as voters or applied for transfer/replacement of their cards from January to July 2022 to endeavour to collect their cards.
It also said that in making the cards available for collection, the Commission is also working to ensure that the process is simple and hitch-free for Nigerians.
This is even as INEC has directed all the RECs and Electoral Officers (EOs) nationwide to set up Help Desks to assist registrants with complaints about their PVCs or with the PVC collection procedure for immediate redress.
