The deadline for obtaining Permanent Voters Cards, or PVCs, has been extended till Sunday, January 29, 2023, according to a statement from the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC.
The Commission also took issue with claims that PVCs were issued in some areas in a discriminatory manner, cautioning that this was illegal and that all legitimate registrants were entitled to receive PVCs.
Festus Okoye, the national commissioner for INEC, revealed this in a statement on Thursday.
Remember that the election authority has already set the deadline for collecting at Sunday, January 22, 2023.
However, after a meeting on Thursday, INEC decided to extend the deadline by eight days.
“The Commission is determined to ensure that registered voters have ample opportunity to collect their PVCs ahead of the forthcoming election. For this reason, the timeframe for the collection of PVCs is extended by eight days.
“Instead of ending on Sunday, 22nd January 2023, the collection of PVCs will continue until Sunday, 29th January 2023. At the moment, the period of collection is 9.00 am – 3.00 pm daily (including Saturdays and Sundays),” Okoye said.
The statement further revealed that collection of PVCs at the Registration Area (Ward) level is now extended by a week from Monday 16th – Sunday 22nd January 2023. At the same time, collection at the Local Government level will resume on Monday, 23rd – Sunday, 29th January 2023.
INEC also warned its officials against extorting Nigerians at the PVC collection centres, adding that the Commission is already investigating allegations against some staff.
