As 2019 general elections draw nearer, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr Segun Agbaje on Sunday pleaded with the eligible registered voters in the state who are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs to come forward to claim them now, saying that nobody would access polling centres during the coming elections without cards.
The REC who made the plea while speaking with TribuneOnline disclosed that a total number of 1,251,500 PVCs representing 74.41per cent have been collected by their owners as at 13th December 2018 out of 1,676,212 PVCs received in the State leaving a balance of 430,430 PVCs, 25.59 per cent yet to be collected.
Agbaje explained that huge number of the unclaimed PVCs were mostly those that registered before the last general elections, stating that the residents of the state yet to collect their still have ample opportunities to do so before the next general elections
He, however, disclosed that the residents of the state are being encouraged to collect such PVCs to avoid being disenfranchised during the elections as valid PVC remained only means of accreditation for eligible voters no matter highly placed such a person might be in the society.
He stated that the officials of the Commission have been moving round the nooks and crannies of the state, visiting markets and worship places to enlighten the members of the public on the importance of the PVCs and the responses have been very encouraging.
The REC, however, counselled the eligible registered voters in the state not to sell PVCs or exchanged them with any other thing under whatever guise, warning that anybody caught doing so in the state under his watch would be arrested and be made to face the weight of the law as it constituted a breach of electoral law.
He appealed to the leaders of the registered Political Parties in the state to assist the Commission in educating their members on the need for them to come forward for their PVCs before the general elections without which they would not be allowed to cast their votes for the candidates of their choices.
Agbaje also declared the collection of the PVCs would have to be done physically by the rightful owners and insisted that PVCs would not be released to any individual, group or political party’ by proxy under any guise.
