The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says over 300,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in Delta, a few months before the 2023 general election.

Monday Udoh-Tom, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), said this at the inauguration of the executives of INEC Press Corps (IPC) on Wednesday in Asaba.

“The commission carried over 244,715 uncollected PVCs from the 2019 general election.

“It has so far received about 69,946 PVCs for those who registered between June and December 2021 and 17,000 transferred PVCs, bringing the stock of PVCs held by the commission to over 300,000,” Mr Udom-Tom said.

Mr Udoh-Tom said the commission expected that it would receive more copies of PVCs by the end of November.

He said the commission desired to embark on the aggressive mobilisation of registrants to collect their PVCs through the PVC collection/political sensitisation campaign.

The REC added that the commission had undertaken a sensitisation campaign at the state House of Assembly.

“As a follow up to the advocacy to the State House of Assembly, the commission has drawn up a work plan and engagement meetings with chairmen/ secretaries /governorship candidates of political parties/ heads of security agencies/ religious organisations and CSOs on Thursday, October 20.

“A meeting with senatorial/ House of Reps/ state House of Assembly candidates/ serving /former members of national and state Houses of Assembly/ serving and former LGC chairmen/ political party leaders at both senatorial/ LGA levels, in Delta South on October 25.

“While the one for Delta Central will hold on October 26, and that of Delta North will hold on October 27,” he stated.

Mr Udoh-Tom urged the IPC to join hands with the commission in mobilising registrants to collect their PVCs at the state’s respective LG offices of INEC.

The newly inaugurated IPC Executives included Festus Ahon (Vanguard Newspaper) as the chairman, Oghenero Eghweree (FRCN) as secretary, Ifeoma Okafor (NTA) as treasurer and Austin Oyibode (Emerald Online) as the public relations officer.

(NAN)