…PVC Collection Begins
Sam Philip
Security agents trained by Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and ad hoc staff who are going to participate in the gubernatorial election in Ondo State on November 16, 2024 are going to take Oath of Neutrality.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola disclosed this on Monday while addressing media practitioners in the state while updating them on the commission’s preparation for the election.
Mrs. Babalola said this is in adherence to the new Electoral Act.
She disclosed that the commission has trained 11,799 security agents cutting across all the security agencies in the country in preparation for the gubernatorial poll.
Likewise, the REC disclosed that 17,705 ad hoc staff are engaged by the commission and they also would take Oath of Neutrality.
She called on registered voters to go to the 203 registration points in the state to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards(PVCs).
According to her, the distribution of the PVCs would start from Registration Areas from Thursday, this week, to Sunday, October 21, 2024.
The REC said: “I am pleased to announce that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Ondo State will commence from 17th October, 2024. This exercise will begin at the Registration Area (RA) level until October 21st , 2024, including the weekend. PVC distribution will take place across all 203 RAs in the state, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily after which it will continue at the Local Government Area (LGA) level from 23rd to 29th October, 2024. PVCs will be distributed at designated collection centres across all 203 Registration Areas within the state’s 18 LGAs.
“I urge registered voters, especially those who recently updated their details or are newly registered, to take advantage of this opportunity to collect their PVCs. I also encourage those who had previously registered but are yet to collect their cards to use this window to do so.
“Please note that INEC is fully committed to ensuring a smooth and accessible PVC collection process, I, therefore, encourage all eligible voters to make sure they collect their cards, as timely distribution of PVCs is expected to enhance voter participation and help guarantee a credible and inclusive election.”
On the training of the security personnel, Mrs. Babalola said: “This programme is designed for all categories of security personnel to be deployed at various stages of the election. The training began today, 14th October, 2024, and will conclude on 16th October 2024 at the state level, with the zonal sessions scheduled for the three senatorial districts from 18th to 20th October, 2024.
“This training aims to equip our security agents with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle the unique challenges that may arise before, during, and after the election. At the end of this training, they are expected to cascade the training down the line having acquired the requisite skill and knowledge to effectively bring out the best and enhance a high-level spirit of professionalism in security personnel deployed for the election.”
She disclosed that besides the newly registered 58,708 PVCs, the old uncollected PVCs are 295,603.
The REC, therefore, urged the registered voters to ensure they collect their PVCs for them to be able to participate in the election on November 16, 2024, assuring that the votes would count.