The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed worry over low turnout for collection of permanent voters cards (PVCs) in Cross River State.
Head of department, voter education and publicity at the commission’s office in Cross River Anthonia Nwobi raised the concern yesterday in Calabar, stressing that less than ten thousand PVCs had been collected from the batch of 2019.
Giving an update on the rate of PVCs collection so far, Nwobi stressed that challenges inherent in the distribution process could be directly linked to the persistent clamour for INEC to distribute the voters cards at polling units level rather than at the wards.
“As at January 8 2023, the total numbers of 2019 Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, collected were just 8,045 out of the 97,381 the commission received.
“Also, from the 2021/2022 fresh registration of PVCs we did in Cross River State totaling 233,481 cards only 68,073 have been picked up.
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“We have low turnout for the collection of PVCs for people, who did transfers as well. The commission received 70,474 applications for transfer in 2021/2022.
“So far, only 17,824 PVCs have been collected. This is too poor despite all our efforts at sensitizing the public,” Nwobi lamented.
She averred that rather than go to the various wards as announced by INEC, the people were clamouring for the commission to take PVC distribution to the polling units.
Nwobi said, “People are not coming out enough in spite of the sensitization and intense awareness campaigns.
“In that regard, we have gone to the extent of deploying town criers within the residential areas to inform the people. Yet, the turnout is not encouraging at all.
“There is the clamour for INEC to still devolve the PVC collection centres to polling units even though we have moved to the wards.”
She enumerated other challenges experienced by INEC with regards to PVCs distribution and collection to include, pressure by some persons on INEC distribution officers to release PVCs of their spouses, children, friends, and so on, which is against INEC’s policy.
Mrs Nwobi said rather than stick to the rules, the people are seriously mounting pressure on the distribution officers to allow them to collect their relatives PVCs. “It is not possible,” she said.
She urged residents of the state to support the commission’s efforts to achieve its mandate.
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