Osun, Ekiti voters get 1.1m permanent voter cards

INEC has distributed 1, 108,495 permanent voter cards (PVCs) to people who registered in 2011 in Ekiti and Osun.

A statement issued by Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, on Thursday in Abuja said the distributed cards were from 1,913,825 cards printed for the two states.

It said the commission had also conducted Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) for those who had just turned 18 years in the two states

According to the statement, the distribution is in preparation for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun scheduled to hold in June 21 and Aug. 9 respectively.

It said that the PVCs were distributed simultaneously in Ekiti and Osun between March 7 and March 9 while the CVR was conducted from March 12 to March 17.

“The cards were distributed at the polling unit level, namely at the existing 2,195 polling units in Ekiti and the 3, 010 polling units in Osun.

“The CVR was conducted at the Registration Area Centre (Ward) level of which Ekiti has 177 and Osun, 332,” it said.

It added that in Ekiti, the continuous voter registration was conducted in 29 existing polling units with less than 100 registered voters.

“While in Osun, it was conducted in 59 existing polling units where there were no data of registrants from the 2011 exercise, and seven other polling units that had less than 100 registered voters.”

A breakdown of the exercise, according to the statement, show that a total of 657, 256 cards were printed by INEC for PVC distribution in Ekiti.

By March 9, when the distribution exercise ended, about 347,741 cards, representing 52.93 per cent were collected by verified holders.

“Of the number of cards collected by holders during that exercise, 164,839 were for males, while 182,902 were for females representing 46.9 and 53.1 per cent respectively.

“More recent records show that a total of 371, 925 PVCs, representing 56.50 per cent of the total volume produced for the state had been collected as at April 11.

“Of this figure, 177,305 cards were for males and 194, 620, representing 52.86 per cent for females. This left a balance of 285, 331 cards as at that date.”

According to the statement, there are 1, 256, 569 PVCs produced for registered voters in Osun State ahead of the distribution exercise.

“By the end of the exercise on March 9, a total number of 697, 574 cards representing 55.5 per cent had been collected by verified holders, comprising 327, 388 and 370,186 females.

“More recent records show that a total of 736, 570 cards, representing 59.6 per cent of the total volume produced for the state, had been collected by verified holders as at April 23.

“This left a balance of 519, 999 cards as at that date,” it added.

The statement noted that INEC’s rules forbade collection by proxy, in order to prevent abuses that could frustrate the whole intention to check electoral malpractices for which the cards were being produced in the first place.

It added that the uncollected cards were at the end of the exercise taken to the respective local government office of the commission in the states for onward collection by verified holders.

For the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), it noted that the commission recorded 78,875 and 149,024 new registrants in Ekiti and Osun states respectively.

It added that the number was also pending the removal of multiple registrations and the application of INEC’s business rules for printing PVCs.

The statement, however, advised registered voters who had yet to collect their cards to go to the local government offices of the commission in the states to collect them.

It said the commission had also put in place strict control for the collection of the PVCs from its local government offices to make sure that the cards are issued to verified legitimate holders only.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Temporary Voter Cards that were issued in 2011 will not be used for the upcoming governorship elections as well as the 2015 general election.”

In other states where distribution of PVCs and CVR are upcoming, previously registered persons need to use the display of the Register of Voters to double-check their names on the register.

“This is important because, should they find their names missing on the register, they can  use the opportunity of the CVR to get their data re-captured.”

The statement also noted that CVR was not for persons who lost their Temporary Voter Cards, or who wished to vote in areas other than where they were registered in 2011.

“Should such persons re-register during CVR, the act will amount to double or multiple registration which is a punishable electoral offence.

“What the law provides for is that persons, who lost their voter card, should write the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of their state of domicile for replacement.

“While voters willing to relocate should write the REC through the Electoral Officer (EO) of the local government where they are presently domiciled to request the transfer of their data.”

It added that INEC was more convinced than ever that preparations being made for the conduct of free, fair and credible governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states as well as the 2015 general elections are on course.

The statement said the commission, however, regretted the persisting tendency towards impunity by some partisans and their supporters in the electoral process.

It advised them to, at all times, abide by relevant rules and codes of ethics.