By Joy Odor
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has informed that a total of 89,777 new Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for Ondo State Gubernatorial election are ready for collection, comprising 58,708 for new voters and 31,069 for those who applied for transfers, updates, or replacements of lost and damaged PVCs.
Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee made this known in a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
He affirmed that the PVCs have been printed and delivered to the State office in Akure following the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
Olumekun mentioned that this is sequel with the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that eligible voters can exercise their civic duty in the upcoming election and urged citizens to collect their PVCs in person, as collection by proxy is not allowed.
“This policy ensures that each registered voter personally receives their card, reducing any risk of irregularities.
“INEC has designated two phases for PVC collection.
“The first phase will occur across the 203 wards in Ondo State from Thursday, October 17 to Monday, October 21, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
“The second phase will run at INEC’s 18 Local Government Area (LGA) offices from Wednesday, October 23 to Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
“During these periods, both new PVCs and those from previous registrations will be available for collection.
“For ease of access, INEC has uploaded detailed information on the location addresses of the ward and LGA collection centres to its website and social media platforms.
“Additionally, the register of new voters will be posted at designated collection centres and uploaded online to facilitate easy identification and smooth collection of the PVCs.
“INEC is urging all registered voters to take advantage of this window to collect their PVCs, as this is the only means by which they can participate in the voting process” he said.
