REC: Over 1m PVCs uncollected in Kano

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said about 1 million voters are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Kano State.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Riskuwa Shehu, disclosed this when the Federal Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission( PCC), Ahmad Dadinkowa, paid him a visit in Kano on Thursday.

Shehu, who was represented by the state INEC Administrative Secretary, Garba Lawan, said the uncollected PVCs comprise those registered between 2011-2018 which are 389,000 and other newly registered 569,103 in the just concluded Continuous Voter Registration.

He said: “People were reluctant to come and collect their PVCs, hence the need for all stakeholders to assist in sensitising the voters to go and collect their own before the general election.”

According to him, the 569,103 new voters were captured in the state at the just-concluded Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

“This is in addition to the already existing 5.4 million voters registered before the 2019 elections.

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“With the 389,000 uncollected PVCS and the registration of over 569,000 new registrants, we will have about 1 million PVCs waiting to be collected before the 2023 General Elections,” he stated.

Shehu urged all stakeholders to assist the commission in mobilising people to collect their PVCs.

He said the electoral body would resume CVR after the 2023 general election.

The REC, who said before the 2019 elections Kano had about 8,017 polling units and over 3,000 voting points, told his visitors that INEC converted those voting points to full-pledged polling units.

“So, now in Kano, we have 11, 222 polling units to be used during the 2023 elections.

“This was achieved with the contribution of all the stakeholders, that is, the traditional institutions and political parties, among others,” he said.

Shehu stated that the commission has initiated various reforms in the electoral process with a view to ensuring credible elections.

He also urged stakeholders to assist in sensitising the people against electoral violence and vote-buying.

In his remarks, Dadinkowa said the visit was to seek for partnership with INEC to ensure free, fair, credible, and peaceful 2023 general election.

The Star