Date: 2018-08-17

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said no fewer than 300,000 eligible voters in Kwara are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Garba Madami, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state disclosed this on Thursday in Ilorin, the state capital.

He said Kwara has a voting pollution of more than one million two hundred thousand, out of which 300,000 are yet to collect their PVCs.

Mr Madami noted that his main objective was to conduct free, fair and acceptable elections to Nigerians and the international communities.

He described as worrisome, failure of the residents to pick their PVCs, adding that Kwara is among states with highest number of uncollected PVCs.

He explained that his team had mapped out strategies to use bulk Short Message Services (SMS) to inform registered voters to come for the cards.

He said no fewer than 70,000 voters registered in 2017, while only 40,000 of them had come for collection.

The new REC also promised to embark on aggressive advocacy to overcome the challenge.

He urged the people of the state to see life beyond election, saying "election is not a do or die affair."

NAN