As the 2019 election year approaches, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and other states in the South West have emerged top with the highest number of abandoned Permanent Voters Card (PVC).
This is according to a recent data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to INEC, the unclaimed PVCs are over eight million in all and have been dispatched to the various state electoral commission offices for collection.
State No. of unclaimed PVC
Lagos 1,401, 390
Oyo 647, 586
Edo 449, 001
Ogun 426, 890
Osun 413, 009
Ondo 370, 214
Others are Kogi (249, 749); Imo (379, 060) and Rivers states (374, 254).
Recall that the election umpire had earlier in the year commenced a Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise across the country to improve participantion at the forthcoming polls.
One of the Resident Electoral Commissioners, REC, who gave a possible hint on the cause of the abandonment said studies have shown that a large number of the uncollected PVCs across the country were for students who had since completed their studies and may have moved to other states or some workers transferred outside a particular state or some residents of a particular state who had since changed their places of abode after the 2011 voters registration exercise.
“If it is only one person that did not collect his/her PVC, he is of concern to us because that person cannot perform his/her civic responsibility. We don’t want that person to be denied his/her right to vote,” the REC said.
The data released by INEC revealed that, nine (9) states with FCT have been tagged “worse states” on the abandoned Permanent Voters Card (PVC) list. The question being asked by perceptive Nigerians is: Does it mean other states has 100% collection?
