Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has commended the residents of the state for trooping out to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) to participate in the 2023 polls.
Oyebanji, who said the public holiday declared by the government yesterday, made the PVCs’ collection a huge success, giving the impressive turnout of intending voters at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s offices across the state.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Monisade Afuye, said this while monitoring compliance with the directive of the state government for registrants to go out and collect their PVCs.
The INEC local government headquarters visited included that of Ikere, Ado, Aramoko, and Ido Ekiti.
The governor, while addressing the registrants, described citizens’ reluctance to exercise their franchise rights during elections, as a trend that must be tamed by stakeholders, saying it portends grave danger to electoral growth.
He said collection of PVCs is one of the ways to strengthen the country’s electoral system, saying no nation experiencing voter apathy can grow and develop.
“Governor Oyebanji has demonstrated leadership by declaring today(Tuesday) a public holiday for you to collect your PVCs. It is good that you have come in large numbers. It is for your own benefit, but some don’t value it.
“We are moving round so that the purpose for which this holiday was declared will be met and we have no reason to regret the population of registrants that we are seeing at all INEC offices that I have visited.
“You all know that voter apathy has always been a serious danger in the country’s elections. And it is an attempt for this government to tackle this problem that the Governor declared today as a public holiday for our people to collect their PVCs to participate in all elections.
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