The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says 37,832 of 60,370 newly printed Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, for new registrants are still uncollected in Lagos State, six months after release.
INEC’s Public Affairs Officer in Lagos State, Adenike Oriowo, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday that so many old PVCs were still awaiting their owners to collect them at the 20 Local Government Area offices of INEC in the state.
Mrs Oriowo, who expressed dissatisfaction with the poor turn out, urged them not to wait until last minute rush before 2023 general elections.
She said that the statistics as at Oct. 21 showed that INEC in Lagos state had received 6,570,291 PVCs from the commission’s National Headquarters prior the 2019 general elections.
“Old PVCs collected up till Oct. 21 was 5,644,239 while the total uncollected old PVCs as at the same time was 926,052.
“The new PVCs received from INEC headquarters earlier this year were 60,370 while only 22,538 were collected as at Oct. 21.
“Total uncollected new PVCs as at Oct. 21, was 37,832,” Mrs Oriowo said.
She said that the overall total PVCs received from the INEC National headquarters now was 6,630,661.
While the overall total PVCs collected by their owners as at Oct. 21 was 5,666,777, the overall uncollected was 963,884.
The INEC had fixed Feb. 25, 2023 for presidential and national assembly elections while March 11, 2023 was scheduled for governorship and state assembly elections.