More and more politicians are going to new heights to declare their intentions to run for office. Rotimi Amaechi ran a lap around a stadium to prove his fitness for office, and Adamu Garba II climbed a rock to declare for the presidency at a spot he said is the real centre of Nigeria.
It’s all so entertaining, but what about the voters?
What’s up with PVC registration?
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resumed registration for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) in June 2021. The commission set a target to register 20 million new voters to add to the existing 84 million on the register of voters. The exercise was divided into four quarters:
First Quarter – June 28th 2021 to September 21st 2021
Second Quarter – October 4th 2021 to December 20th 2021
Third Quarter – January 3rd 2022 to March 22nd 2022
4th Quarter – April 11th 2022 to June 30th 2022.
As of the end of the third quarter, 4.4 million new voters had completed their PVC registration — only 22% of the target set by INEC.
Eligible Nigerians who are 18 years old or older have only three months left to register for the card. But this article isn’t about them.
ALSO READ: Time Is Running Out for You to Register for Your PVC
I have registered. When can I get my card?
INEC announced on April 13th 2022 that 1,390,519 PVCs have been printed for new registrants. The commission also printed 464,340 PVCs for people who applied for transfer or replacement of cards. This means a total of 1,854,859 PVCs are now ready for collection from April 19th 2022.
Who qualifies to collect PVC now?
The current round of collection is for applicants who completed registration in the first and second quarters of the ongoing exercise. This means people who registered for new cards or applied for transfer or replacement between June 28th 2021 and December 20th 2021.
INEC will contact them by email and text messages on the availability of the cards and the places to collect them. You can also verify your registration status here.
What do I need to collect PVC?
If you qualify for collection, you need to present your Temporary Voter Card (TVC) at the INEC centre to get your PVC.
ALSO READ: How To Register For PVC Online In 7 Easy Steps
There’s a little problem…
It’s possible that you registered for PVC as a new voter between June and December 2021 but you won’t be getting your card.
While INEC has printed 1.3 million PVCs for new voters, 2.5 million people actually registered within the period. The commission said 1,126,359 of the applications were ruled to be invalid. This represents 44% of the total number of registrations.
This was due to a lot of reasons which include illegal double registration and incomplete data. The invalid registrants won’t be included in the register of voters.
What’s the solution?
Nigerians who are affected by this problem can contact INEC’s Help Desk, social media handles or registration officers at the registration centres for guidance on how to proceed.
ALSO READ: Zikoko’s Responsible Voter Starter Kit for 2023 Elections
