Date: 2017-04-13

...as commission begins distribution this month

The Kwara State chapter of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said there were two hundred and forty thousand (240,000) unclaimed Permanent Voters' Card (PVC) by their respective owners in the state.

The commission however reiterated readiness to kick start distribution of the yet-to-be collected PVCs to their respective owners this month once it gets directive from the headquarters.

INEC Publicity Secretary, Barrister Jacob Ayanda, disclosed this to Pilot Politics during a telephone chat.

Ayanda stressed that the commission had started some in-house preparation towards the commencement of the distribution, adding that Nigerians should commend the idea of giving out the unclaimed cards to their owners. He noted that undergoing the exercise now will only reduce the rush and the work load during election time.

He added that the state chapter of the commission is only awaiting the nod from the INEC headquarter, saying coast is clear for the distribution of the cards.

According to him, the commission want to start setting its priority right from this early stage in order to ensure credible voting system in the 2019 poll.

"We have 240.000 unclaimed PVCs in Kwara state, and we've started preparation towards distributing it, this is in line with directive from the headquarters.

"For now, effort being put in place is in-house but INEC has made the pronouncement that it will commence this April.

"We get our directives from the headquarters not elsewhere and there is always time and the particular date when the distribution will commences, but we are getting set, the machineries are in place, what remains now is just the directive go ahead, nothing more," he said.

INEC had said it would kick-start preparations for the 2019 general election with the continuous voters' card registration and distribution of the unclaimed PVCs in April.

The commission gave an update on the growing number of political associations seeking registration as political parties ahead of the 2019 general election, saying it has now reached 85.

The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu also said the 10 political parties which were previously de-registered by the commission after the 2015 general election had regained their registration.