Low PVC collection in Kogi worries INEC
* Says BVAS has enhanced Credibility of Elections.
ATABOR JULIUS LOKOJA
The Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Hale Gabriel Longpet, has decried voters apathy to the collection of Permanent Voters cards noting that only 28% have so far collected theirs since the end of the continuous Voters Registration exercise in September, 2022.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner made the disclosure at a maiden Press briefing held on Tuesday in Lokoja, kogi state capital.
The REC who decried the turn out , said efforts have being intensified through the use of various media platforms to inform and educate the people on the need for the collection.
The REC explained that those who registered between June 28th and July 31st, 2022, their PVC will be ready before the end of November, advising electorate to go to their wards, Local Government headquarters to pick their cards.
He disclosed that the total registered registered voters in the State now stands at 1,939,365, but said only 28% of the people who registered during the Continuous Voters Registration exercise had collected their PVC.
He urge critical stakeholders to partner with the commission to deliver free, fair and credible 2023 general election.
While pointing out that the Commission has successfully carried out the distribution of some sensitive and non sensitive election materials, adding that both adhoc staff and personel have been trained and retrained at the National, Zonal , states and Local Government Councils offices to effectively operate the modern technology as approved by the Electoral Act 2022 .
The Commissioner assured the citizenry that there is no going back on the deployment of the Bimordal Voters Accreditation System BVAS for voter accreditation as well the electronic transmission of results to the INEC result Viewing Portal in real time on election day.
The Commission he explained will in the next few days display the supplementary voters register in all the Wards and Local Government areas of the State.
He noted that although hackers tried many times without success to hack at INEC portal in the last Ekiti , Anambra and Osun off cycle elections, said the commission will continue to improve on their system that will ensure that each vote actually counts.
” INEC has heard the cry of the people and over the years, has worked tirelessly to reform the electoral process and introduce many innovations which by the recent elections, have improved the electoral process.
” Armed with an improved Electoral act, administrative procedures and requisite technology, Inec has increased the transparency and confidence of the public especially in the recent two elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
” The days of wanton manipulation of elections results might have been over.
However, this task cannot be left to INEC alone” He disclosed.
He called on the media whom he said are the watch dog of the society to giving accurate,and timely information to the public.
