703,492 Permanent Voters Card (PVC) are yet to be collected in Oyo State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 703,492 Permanent Voters Card (PVC) are yet to be collected in Oyo State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Rufus Akeju disclosed this shortly after a crucial meeting of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on ‎Election Security (ICCES), held at the agency’s conference room, Ibadan.

“We have collected 2,381,102 permanent voters’ cards, out of which we have giving to the rightful owners 1,677,610. ‎We still have at hand 703,492 PVC that are yet to be collected by eligible voters.

“The sensitive materials will be moved to the 351 registration areas of the state on Friday, 27th March, while the poll officials too will also move into the camps in order to ensure timely arrival at the voting points on Saturday 28th March. We have 5,620 voting points and they must be adequately protected in order to assure voters of their safety while casting votes,” he said

According to him, apart from that, only yesterday we received another 13,000 PVC’s from Abuja, and only those that were received from two weeks ago till date will be distributed.

The Oyo REC said different types of identification to be used by all categories of ad-hoc personnel ‎will be sighted at the meeting with the security chiefs in the state in order to reduce problems arising from identification.

According to him, we have packaged documents that will assist the security agencies in the task of mobilization and deployment of their personnel.

Akeju promised that the agency is working round the clock to ensure the safety of the registered voters during the election.

Also addressing journalist shortly after the meeting on behalf of other security chiefs the state, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammad Katsina assured the members of the public that the atmosphere will be peaceful before, during and after the general elections.

“We have deliberated here extensively and we are determined to maintain law and order. We want to inform members of the public that we will spare nobody that causes breakdown of law and order. With the morale of our men on ground we are certain that Oyo State will be a good reference point after the conduct of the election,” he said