About 400, 000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are still being expected in Lagos State from Abuja for onward distribution to their owners, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state said yesterday.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos, Mr Akin Orebiyi, however, announced to reporters that PVCs’ distribution has risen to 62.7 per cent from 38 per cent last week.
He said: “But we are still working seriously because we know that quite a number of people are still yet to collect their PVCs; we want to make sure that they are able to collect these cards.
“As we speak, out of 5,905, 000 cards for Lagos State, we have distributed 3,654,000, but I also need to say that out of 5.9 million, we are still awaiting the arrival of about 400,000 cards.
“As soon as we are able to receive them, we will also be able to push them out so that people can come out to collect them.
“We are expecting additional cards in practically all the 20 local government areas”, he said.
Mr. Orebiyi added that the commission had outstanding cards in some polling units in Oshodi-Isolo, Mushin, Ibeji-Lekki, Ikeja, Ifako-Ijaiye, Badagry, Ikorodu, Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Eti-Osa, Apapa, Ojo, Lagos Island, Kosofe, Surulere, Amunwo-Odofin, Somolu and Epe.
“Also, in Alimosho, we want to urge our people to continue to exercise patience, especially in Shasha, Akowonjo, Idimu, Isheri-Olofin, Ikotun, Ijegun, Egbe, Agbojo as well as Ipaja.
“These are the specific areas where we are expecting cards, but we have been given assurance from our headquarters that as early as Monday next week, these cards would start arriving.
“Again, we want to appeal to our people to kindly continue to bear with us and exercise patience; we are working to ensure that these cards arrive in time”, he said.
Orebiyii said that the commission was compiling the distribution for the outgoing week, which could be released by next week.
He said, however, that the commission had no fewer than 1.8 million PVCs not yet claimed in the state.
The commissioner, therefore, called on owners of the yet-to-be collected cards to find time to pick them up before the deadline on March 8.
Orebiyi said that the commission would go beyond the local governments and distribute the cards at the polling units on Feb 27, February 28, March 6 and March 7.
He also spoke on the allegation that INEC in the state was colluding with the All Progressives Congress to deny some sections of the community from getting their cards.
“There is no intention on the part of the INEC or any of its officials to deny any single ethnic group, any single community or any single individual of his card.
“But, if any person has difficulties, he should let us know”, Orebiyii said.
He said that the state had received over 12,000 Smart Card readers and they were being configured specially to each polling unit in the state.
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