TheCable

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the low rate of collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) by residents of Lagos state is worrisome.

Olusegun Agbaje, the state resident electoral commissioner, spoke on Thursday at the eighth annual constituency stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos.

According to NAN, the meeting was organised by the Lagos house of assembly to stress the importance of PVC collection ahead of the 2023 general election.

Agbaje was represented by Emmanuel Adegboyega, an INEC official, during the meeting held at Eti-Osa II constituency.

He said over one million PVCs are yet to be collected, adding that only 6,382 out of 34,242 PVCs were picked up after the continuous voter registration (CVR) in the first and second quarters of 2022.

“The low rate of PVC collection in Lagos state is worrisome as only 6,382 PVCs out of 34,242 received from the commission’s headquarters for the first and second quarters CVR had been collected by their owners,” Agbaje said.

“This is just 18.6 percent; similarly, for the old PVCs, a total of 1,091,157 are still uncollected by their owners.

“Also, voter apathy that has characterised past elections in the state where only 1,156,590 out of 6,570,291 registered voters, that is, 17.6 per cent participated in the 2019 general election in the state.”

Gbolahan Yishawu, the member representing Eti-Osa constituency II, said: “We are trying to sensitise our people to ensure that they go and get registered and not just registered but to collect their voters’ card.

“You saw me carry out an exercise trying to see how many people have actually registered and have got PVC.

“You cannot vote with your slip, you must get your PVC, that is the essence.”