Not less than 229,583 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are yet to be claimed by prospective voters in the three northwestern states, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The commission noted that the PVCs are still domicile in some of their offices in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States, a number that can disenfranchise many and create a major impact on the next year’s election.
READ: Despite Bribing INEC Officials, Taraba Man Laments Inability to Get PVC
Abubakar Usman, the head of the Commission’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department in Sokoto State, explained that 125,993 PVCs were not claimed in the state.
He said the number also includes the uncollected ones in 2019 and voters that changed their polling centres or updated their card information.
In Kebbi State, Atiku Shekare, the spokesperson of the commission in the state told VOA Hausa that 63,717 PVCs have not been collected in the state.
READ: In Jigawa, INEC Appoints APC Stalwart As Residential Commissioner
Similarly, in Zamfara State, the communications and public awareness officer of the Electoral Commission, Ibrahim Bello, said 39,873 PVCs were not picked up.
However, while many registered voters complained that they could not access their cards in the INEC offices, the commission insisted that the cards are ready for collection.
