700,000 yet to collect PVCs in Oyo – INEC

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke, said on Wednesday at least 700,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have not been collected in the state.

Agboke disclosed this at a media briefing on the commencement of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise held at the INEC Collation Centre in Ibadan, the state capital.

He said the current security challenges and the need to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the commission to conduct the process online.

REC said: “The commission decided to commence the scheduled CVR with an online exercise nationwide, using the INEC portal. This shall be followed by the commencement of the scheduled appointments for online registrations and commencement of physical CVR on July 19, 2021, in all our INEC state and local government offices nationwide. INEC is carrying out the online CVR. The online idea is a novel one.

READ ALSO: INEC to commence physical registration July 19

“Those who have already been registered as voters can carry out all the other CVR activities. The essence is for two major reasons which are: first, to reduce overcrowding at our registration centres, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and second, as a result of the prevailing security situation in the country, and Oyo State in particular.”

He also disclosed that INEC has created 1,607 new polling units in the state.

Agboke added: “Initially, there were 4,783 polling units in the state. However, with the additional 1,607 new polling units, we now have a total number of 6, 390 polling units in Oyo State.

“Importantly, the new polling units will guarantee better access to voters during elections and the idea is also to make new polling units available for voters during this CVR exercise.”

By: John Chukwu

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