February 3, 2015 – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has set aside five days to distribute Permanent Voters Card (PVC)s at the polling units where residents usually exercise their franchise.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola who made the revelation late Tuesday evening said the exercising will commence at the polling units instead of ward collation centres.
He said the exercise will start from tomorrow, Wednesday 8:30 Am to 5:30 Pm daily and terminate on Sunday.
He said the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Lagos, Mr. Akin Orebiyi has already briefed him about the readiness of INEC to distribute the PVC.
“The REC has come to brief me about his commission’s readiness to distribute the PVCs to ensure that Lagos residents are not disenfranchised. And in that case starting from Wednesday to Sunday, they will do it from 8:30 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening and they will continue according to him until Sunday which is their last day”, he said.
He called on residents of the state to make use of the five days to go out and pick their PVCs so as to be able to vote in the 2015 general elections.
“So what has changed from the ward collation centres of INEC they are moving it to the polling units”, he said adding that he has always made the point known that most people who vote who are not party agents do not actually know where the ward collation centres are located”, he said.
Fashola explained that government heard of complains about those who have not collected their PVCs because they could not locate the ward collation units, noting that irrespective of where individuals register, residents should go to their polling units where they normally vote. He said he will continue to monitor to see how the exercise will go adding that hopefully everybody registered will be able to vote.
He said that so far about 5,905,000 million are now registered in Lagos and urged all to go out adding that ultimately those who make the sacrifice will be happy that they are at last able to vote.
He said he will be the last to collect his PVC but that he has been assured that PVCs have arrived and will be in the polling centres.
