Kehinde Fajobi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 295,603 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain uncollected in Ondo State, urging registered voters to pick them up ahead of the November 16 governorship election.
At a press briefing held at the commission’s headquarters in Akure on Monday, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, confirmed INEC’s readiness to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.
“A total of 295,603 Permanent Voter Cards are yet to be collected,” Babalola said. “The owners can still come to collect them because there is still an opportunity now.”
She also revealed that INEC plans to recruit 17,705 ad hoc staff for the election, alongside 11,799 security personnel, who will be sworn to an oath of neutrality before the election day.
Further distribution of PVCs will commence on Thursday, October 17, 2024, across 203 Registration Areas (RAs) in the state and will continue until October 21. The distribution will then move to Local Government Areas from October 23 to October 29, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily.
“This exercise will be carried out across all 203 RAs in the state, ensuring that voters have access to their PVCs,” Babalola stated.
The REC reminded the public of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise conducted earlier in the year, which saw 58,708 new voters registered, with additional transfers processed both within and outside the state.
She called on residents of Ondo to participate actively in the upcoming election, emphasising the importance of peaceful conduct and the assurance that every vote would be counted. “They should note that their votes will count,” she said.
The election, scheduled for November 16, 2024, is expected to draw significant attention as the state prepares to elect its next governor.