BY OKEY NDIRIBE
THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, called on registered voters in 10 states across the country to check their registration status during the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, beginning today.

This was contained in a statement issued by Kayode Idowu, Special Adviser on Media to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega. The statement further indicated that phase one of the distribution of voters cards will last till May 25, 2014, in the following states: Taraba, Gombe and Zamfara. Others are Kebbi, Benue, Kogi, Abia, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom and Bayelsa.

The statement said, “Persons whose data have been appropriately captured will be handed their permanent voters cards at the polling units in accordance with set procedures. Those with defective data, for whom PVCs have not been produced, will have the opportunity to re-register during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) that holds from Wednesday, May 28, 2014, to Sunday, June 1, 2014.”

The Commission further stated that there will be a display of the valid register of voters at the polling units where the PVCs will be distributed adding that it is important for every voter to visit his or her polling unit from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25, 2014, to ascertain his or her registration status. The statement further declared that this is contrary to suggestions that persons in so-called ‘zero polling units’ need not show up.

Idowu also stated that “the CVR is for the following categories of people: (i) Persons who turned 18 years after the last registration;(ii); Persons who were 18 years at the time but did not present themselves for registration; and (iii) Persons whose data were not adequately captured previously and for whom PVCs have not been produced.”