“INEC in Ekiti state has held a public sensitization programme for residents and market women on the need to collect their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs).”
Ahead of February 25, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State has held a public sensitization programme for residents and market women on the need to collect their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs).
The collection of the PVCs which commenced in December last year had been devolved to the ward level by the electoral commission for people to have more access to the cards in preparation for the election.
The Wednesday road show was conducted by the INEC in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) around major streets and markets in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, Professor Ayobami Salami who led the sensitization revealed that the commission as of Friday last week had about 204,000 uncollected voters cards in the state.
He charged residents of the state to collect their PVCs so they can be able to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming presidential, national and state Assembly elections.
According to him, “In Ekiti state, we have 988,923 registered voters, out of that, about 784,000 have collected their PVCs while about 204,000 are still with us. That is 75 per cent have been collected while 25 per cent are still with us.
“It is important for the people to come out and collect their PVC, because in this forthcoming election, without the PVC, nobody will be able to vote. If you do not vote, your vote will not be counted, so, we are doing this exercise to encourage the public to come out and get their PVCs.”
Salami also disclosed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines would be used in conducting the 2023 elections, adding that the use of BVAS for elections has come to stay.
“The BVAS that we are going to use in Ekiti are ready and BVAS has come to stay and it is going to be used for the 2023 elections and we are ready for it,” he said.