The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that 2,769,137 out of 2,802,790 registered voters in Anambra, representing 98.8 per cent, have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Saturday governorship election in the state. The commission recently described the turnout for PVC collection as a significant achievement for any election in Nigeria.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, revealed that the commission extended the deadline for the collection of the cards across all 326 Registration Areas, and it helped almost every eligible voter obtain their card.
According to him, he is pleased with the positive outcome of the extension, and the impressive collection rate sends a good signal ahead of the Anambra Governorship poll.
He stated that the cards that have not been collected will be safely retrieved and stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the election.
“Following the conclusion of voter registration and a thorough database clean-up, the commission finalised a register of 2,802,790 voters for this election on Sept. 4. Initially, only 63.9 per cent of voters had collected their PVCs.
To close this gap, INEC extended the PVC collection period from Wednesday, Oct. 29 to Sunday, Nov. 2, ensuring collection centres were open across all 326 Registration Areas (Wards).
I am delighted to share a success story today: that extension has yielded excellent results. The percentage of collected PVCs to registered voters now stands at an impressive 98.80 per cent.
This is a significant collection rate for any election in Nigeria, and it sends a clear signal. All uncollected cards will now be safely retrieved and stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the election,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan further urged all eligible voters to come out on election day, assuring them of their safety in the election.
He concluded by saying that the historical slide in voter participation in the state is still a major cause of concern, citing that in the 2013 Governorship Election, turnout was only 25.5 per cent (413,005 valid votes from 1,770,125 registered).
“In 2017, it dropped further to 20.10 per cent (422,314 valid votes from 2,364,134 registered). In 2021, the situation deteriorated sharply with a mere 10.27 per cent turnout (241,523 valid votes from 2,466,638 registered).
Democracy only thrives when citizens actively choose their leaders. I, therefore, urge every person in Anambra to come out and exercise their civic right without fear or favour.
To demonstrate our unwavering commitment to flawless delivery, four National Commissioners have remained in Anambra to personally supervise the election, supported by ten Resident Electoral Commissioners specially deployed from across the country.
As a commission, we are determined to deliver an election that is credible, inclusive, transparent, and efficiently executed.
Anyone attempting violence, vote-buying, intimidation, or ballot interference will face swift, lawful consequences.
To the voters, you have collected your PVCs, security will protect you, and INEC is ready for you. So, come out on Saturday, vote freely, vote peacefully, vote proudly.
We stressed that the resident electoral commissioner should own up the system, electoral officers should also own it up, and any case of misconduct will not be tolerated.
So at the same time, we also promised to reward any local government, any electoral officer that comes up clean and the results are announced on time.
When voting takes place, we have our own metrics we are going to use as a reward system.
But on the other hand, anyone that commits any misconduct will be dealt with accordingly,” he added.
