INEC extends deadline for collection of PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has extended the deadline for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by one week.

INEC had previously said it would end the PVC collection on 22 January, 2023 having started the process on 12 December, 2022.

But after deliberation at the commission’s headquarters on Thursday, its Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye, announced a new deadline for the PVC collection.

In a statement he released on the same day, Mr Okoye said the PVC collection now ends on 29 January.

“The Commission is encouraged by the turnout of registered voters and the surge in the number of collected PVCs across the country,” he said.

He said the extension was approved to provide Nigerians with more time to get their PVCs ahead of the general elections coming up in 43 days.

After a week of distributing the PVCs at Local Government Offices, INEC took the distribution exercise to the Registration Areas/Wards from 6 January.

The distribution at the ward level, earlier schedule to end on 15 January, has been extended to continue until 22 January, when the exercise would be taken back to the local government offices.

At the local government office, the exercise continues until 29 January, he added.

Mr Okoye said INEC is impressed by the turnout of Nigerians in collecting their PVCs at the Ward level.

“In some of the states, as many as 100,000 PVCs were collected in the last five days since the devolution to ward level started on Saturday 6th January 2023,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Commission said it is investigating allegations of extortion by officials and “some unscrupulous voters’ trying to circumvent the process at some of the collection centres.

“Those found culpable will face disciplinary action and/or prosecution,” it said.