National Telescope national telescope newspaper
As the Ondo State governorship election approaches, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for registered voters will begin on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
In a statement issued on Monday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the schedule, urging voters to collect their PVCs ahead of the November 16 election.
According to Olumekun, “A total of 89,777 new PVCs have been printed and delivered to INEC’s state office in Akure, covering both new registrations and those who applied for transfers, updates, or replacements of lost and damaged cards.”
The statement disclosed that PVC collection will take place across 221 centers in Ondo State, at both ward and local government levels.
Olumekun detailed the process: “PVCs for all categories of applicants will be available for collection at 203 Wards from Thursday, October 17 to Monday, October 21, 2024. After that, collection will shift to our 18 local government offices from Wednesday, October 23 to Tuesday, October 29, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, including weekends.”
Olumekun also highlighted that PVCs from previous registration exercises would be available at the designated centers during this period, calling on all registered voters to come in person to collect their cards.
“We appeal to all registered voters in Ondo State to pick up their PVCs in person on the approved dates. No cards will be collected by proxy,” he emphasized.
To ease the collection process, INEC has made the addresses of the ward and local government collection centers available on its website and social media platforms.
Additionally, Olumekun said, “We are also uploading the entire collection register for new voters online to ensure seamless identification of names and collection centers.”
With the Ondo governorship election just weeks away, INEC’s call to action is a reminder for voters to ensure they are equipped with their PVCs, which serve as their gateway to participate in the election.
By Alimi Micheal
