PVC Collection: INEC Tasks Stakeholders On Increased Sensitisation

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State has urged relevant stakeholders to take the awareness campaign for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, (PVCs) to the nooks and crannies of their immediate environments in the state.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State, Dr Johnson Alalibo, stated this at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Port Harcourt last Friday, while stressing that the electoral process begins with the collection of the PVC.
The stakeholders’ meeting was convened to intimate major stakeholders on measures to be employed to ensure seamless distribution of the PVCs as well as to provide update on preparations made towards the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Dr Alalibo explained the processes laid down ahead of the PVCs collection scheduled to begin, Monday, 12th of December.
He added that there will be no use of incident forms during the elections as the whole process will be carried out electronically, noting that the commission in Rivers State has received some non-sensitive materials for the 2023 elections, including six thousand eight hundred and sixty six (6,866) Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
In his submission, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, who is also the co-chairman of Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security,  Okon Effiong, represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Administration, Hamza Tembai, said the police was committed to ensuring a credible process.
Two other stakeholders, the Rivers  State Chairman, National Orientation Agency (NOA),  Mr Young Ayo-Tamuno and Secretary of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mr Smart Tony, called on political parties to call their followers to order to avoid electoral violence.
It was also stressed that those waiting to collect their PVCs could visit the INEC website, log in their details to ascertain if their PVCs are ready for collection.
The stakeholders meeting had in attendance NGOs, CSOs, Women leaders, Youth leaders of political parties, traditional rulers as well as religious leaders, among others.