By Demilade Adewale
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), for Ogun State, Niyi Ijalaye has disclosed that 412,086 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have not been collected in the state.
Ijalaye, disclosed this at a stakeholders' forum organized by the Commission in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, as parts of preparation for the forthcoming general elections.
Ijalaye said, "a total of two million, six hundred and eighty-eight thousand (2,688,305) voters were registered in Ogun State, of which two million, two hundred and seventy-six thousand, two hundred and nineteen (2,276,219) PVCs were collected by their owners as at the end of the exercise on 5th February, 2023".
He added that any voter without PVC will not be allowed to vote during the elections, stressing that " o other identification document will be accepted in place of the permanent Voter’s card. That is to say “No PVC, No Voting”.
He said the Commission had received most of the non-sensitive materials which he said had been deployed to all the twenty local government areas in the State.
"Electoral Officer are batching these materials into registration areas in preparation for the election".
"Sensitive materials are being forwarded to the State by the Commission and we have inspected them and they are in the right quantity as required".
Speaking on Voters' register, he said, "the Commission had issued the soft copies of the boter register to all political parties in Ogun State. We have printed all our voter registers and they have been checked and certified to in line with the requirement.
"Permit me at this juncture to inform all stakeholders of the policy of the Commission to depopulate our very large Polling Units by moving/migrating some voters to Polling Units within catchment areas. The Commission has migrated/moved some voters in densely populated Polling Units to low population density Polling Units within some vicinity for better control and seamless accreditation and voting on Election Day".
"Accordingly, the register of affected voters will be pasted at the poling units involved very soon and community leaders will be appropriately sensitized to assist in getting the voters involved in checking exact polling units which are within the same vicinity".
"People with Disability: - Voters with disability will be allowed to move to the front of the Voters’ queue so that they can vote faster. Voters who are physically unable to mark the ballot paper can get assistance from a person of their choice, but not the party agents".
While warning against vote buying and selling, Ijalaye said, "don’t attempt to bribe or accept a bribe before or during polling. It’s a crime. Don’t vote more than once. It’s an electoral offence. Don’t sell your permanent voter’s card. Do not sell your right".
He added that there would be no voting by proxy. "Vote in person, voting on behalf of another person is not allowed".
He appealed to all political parties and their candidates to ensure that the elections is peaceful in the State.
"Kindly educate your followers on the need to always allow peace to reign and do not make this election a do or die affair".
"I urge you to be more cooperative, supportive and committed to INEC for the conduct of free, fair, credible, inclusive and acceptable 2023 general election".
At the stakeholders'forum, which was attended by Civil Society Organizations, security agencies, traditional rulers, human rights bodies, religious leaders, saw twelve political parties signed peace accord, ahead of the election.
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