Nasarawa State: Electoral Umpire charges Stakeholders with PVC Collection
Amina Mohammed, Lafia.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged stakeholders in Nasarawa state, North-Central Nigeria, with mobilizing people to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to enable them to exercise their franchise in the 2023 general elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Uthman Ajidagba, made the call during a stakeholders’ meeting organized by the INEC to discuss PVC collection and the 2023 general elections.
“The PVC is everyone’s licence to vote as enshrined in the Electoral Act.
“The collection is now ongoing at our Local Government Area offices across the state and the country.
“The Commission has earmarked 6th- 15th of January for collection at Registration Areas after which they are to be returned to Area Offices from between 15th to 22nd January, 2023.
“As a way of reciprocating the Commission’s effort, please ensure you collect your PVC today,” he appealed.
The REC further assured that the Commission would conduct free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in 2023:
“As determined as we are to improving our electoral system, one thing that is a task for us is: conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.
“Giving this doggedness, we have severally embarked on series of researches and came up with innovations ranging from Data-Capturing Machine, Card Reader to now Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).”
With the general elections only 70 days away, Ajidagba urged stakeholders and other voters to be vigilant and help avert any breach of security during the elections.
He called on political actors and other stakeholders to play the game by the rules in the interest of peace and for the success of the election.
Speaking, Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), in the state, Mr. Cletus Ogah, assured of political parties’ readiness to always support and work with the commission to ensure the success of the election.
He called on security agencies to ensure protection of Nigerians for peaceful 2023 general elections.
Also speaking, the Emir of Lafia and Chairman, Nasarawa State Traditional Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), commended the INEC for organizing the stakeholders’ meeting.
Bage said that the emirate council has made the PVC a prerequisite for attending meetings in all districts by village heads and other title holders in the emirate.
He further urged districts, village heads and other title holders, among other stakeholders of the emirate, to educate and sensitize their subjects to PVCs registration and collection.
The emir assured the INEC of the state traditional rulers’ support for a peaceful election come 2023.
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