The Independent National Electoral Commission in Taraba State on Saturday said that it had distributed about 80 per cent of Permanent Voter Cards to registered voters in the state.
According to the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Ahmad Makama, who disclosed this in Jalingo while speaking on the commission’s preparation for the forthcoming polls, he said that the remaining 20 per cent were available at the various ward headquarters for collection, adding that INEC decided to decentralise the PVCs distribution to ensure all registered voters in the state get theirs cards.
“INEC is trying to ensure that majority of eligible voters were able to exercise their franchise. Our aim is to get the cards across to all Nigerians. We have given out 80 per cent and 20 per cent are lying at the local government areas,” he said.
Makama urged registered voters, who had yet to collect their PVCs, to do so as the commission would not allow the use of temporary voter cards in the forthcoming elections.
He advised against anyone carrying fake voter cards and other people’s PVCs to the polling units on the day of elections, saying such cards would be detected by the commission’s card readers and the owners would be prosecuted.
He said the introduction of card readers by INEC will go a long way in reducing rigging and other electoral malpractices.
According to him, the commission was also making arrangement to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons have the opportunity to cast their votes during the elections.
