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The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has said it may be forced to burn unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the 2019 general election to prevent them from getting to the wrong hands.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Rufus Akeju dropped the hint at a meeting with journalists in Ondo State held at the NUJ Press Centre in Akure.
Akeju said burning the cards subject to the commission’s directive and ratification would prevent unscrupulous persons from using them to frustrate the 2019 elections.
He said the commission had made several efforts to reach out to the owners of the over 370, 000 unclaimed PVCs to no avail.
He added that the PVCs had been discovered to be for Corps members who observed their service year in the state and had graduated from institutions in the state.
“We might burn the unclaimed cards because we don’t want them to get to the wrong hands and frustrate our efforts in the 2019 elections. We are doing everything to find out if the owners are still alive and we have told you some of the possibilities that might have happened to the owners. Whether they are transit students, corps members or did double registration, collected one and ran away. It can be anything. It’s not just in the state but many other states,” Akeju said.
Akeju however, said the commission was stepping up continuous voter education with advocacy visits to stakeholders including traditional rulers to enlist their support for a successful 2019 election.
He revealed that traditional rulers in the state had been advised to move polling booths from their palaces in order to give more credence to the election next year.
The Ondo NUJ Chairman, James Sowole, however promised professional reportage of all activities of the Commission.
YOMI AYELESO, Akure
