The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun has said that a total of 391,145 permanent voter cards (PVCs) have yet to be collected in the state.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, Mutiu Agboke, while speaking with reporters in Osogbo on Monday, said the figure was, however, an improvement from the more than 470,000 uncollected PVCs, which he met when he resumed as REC in the state in 2022.

He said the various advocacy visits and public enlightenments he embarked on had helped in reducing the figure of uncollected PVCs.

Mr Agboke reiterated INEC’s readiness to conduct the forthcoming general elections, adding that 12 out of the 14 schedules of the commission had been completed in readiness for the exercise.

“The two remaining items in our schedule are the conclusion of campaigns by political parties, which is 24 hours to the election, while the last one is the election proper,” he said.

He said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) remained the only means of accreditation for the elections and that anybody not accredited with the machine would not be allowed to vote.

The REC urged the electorate, election observers, political parties and security agents to beam their searchlight on INEC staffers during the elections to ensure that anyone not accredited with BVAS was not allowed to vote.

“INEC has said that BVAS is for accreditation of voters, and all of us need to open our eyes.

“If a voter does not go through the BVAS, he or she is not eligible to vote. If we open our eyes, how will someone not accredited now collect ballot papers?

“We should all open our eyes during the election to ensure that nobody votes without accreditation,” he said. 

(NAN)