As part of efforts to ensure that no Nigerian is disfranchised in the forthcoming elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to Monday.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this at the commission’s regular meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on Friday in Abuja.
Yakubu said the decision was based on demands by Nigerians.
“In the last couple of days, we have been inundated by calls from Nigerians to review the current process of collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards. In response, the Commission has taken the following decisions:
“The collection of PVCs scheduled to end on Friday Feb. 8 is hereby extended nationwide to Monday Feb. 11. This will include Saturday and Sunday. The collection of PVCs will now take place from 9a.m to 6p.m daily.
“All state offices are hereby directed to review the procedure for the collection of PVCs and dedicate all the staff of the Local Government offices to the collection process.
“Staff are enjoined to be civil in attending to citizens and to escalate issues that they cannot immediately resolve to their superiors,” Yakubu said.
He assured that INEC would continue to take every necessary step to ensure that no registered voter is disenfranchised on account of non-collection of PVC.
Yakubu added that the Commission was taking urgent steps to address complaints of unavailability of PVCs of some registered voters before the end of the deadline for collection.
“We wish to reiterate that after the deadline of Monday Feb. 11, all uncollected PVCs will be recalled and deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for safe-keep until after the General Elections when the collection of cards and the Continuous Voter Registration will resume.”
