No PVC, no vote - INEC tells electorate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised people who have registered for their permanent voter cards (PVCs) to collect them, saying, “no PVC, no vote.”

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Katsina State, Ibrahim Yahaya-Makarfi, a professor, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina on Sunday.

According to him, the commission will not allow anyone to vote during the 2023 general elections without presenting his/her PVCs at polling centres.

He said that INEC suspended the continuous voter registration on 31 July because it was a process of recording and compiling the required details of the electorate.

Mr Yahaya-Makarfi said the exercise was carried out to allow all eligible Nigerians to register and collect their PVCs and to enable them to vote for candidates of their choice during the election.

He said: "Section 16(1) of the Electoral Act empowers the commission to register, print and issue PVC to everyone whose name appears on the register of voters.

“It should be noted that PVC is a requirement for voting, as provided for in Section 47 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“INEC will, as from Dec. 12, commence issuance of PVCs. This will run through Jan. 22, 202,3 in all the 34 local government areas of the state.

“Moreover, the commission also resolves to devolve PVC collection to the 361 registration areas from Jan. 6 to Jan. 15, 2023.”

The REC called on all eligible and valid registrants to be at the various collection centres to collect their PVCs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, including Saturdays and Sundays, within the stipulated period.