The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has raised fresh concerns over voter apathy, revealing that no fewer than 360,794 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain uncollected across the state.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke, who spoke through the Commission’s Public Relations Officer, Musa Olurode, described the situation as worrisome, warning that the huge backlog could have dire implications on voter turnout in future elections.
Agboke urged eligible voters yet to collect their PVCs to use the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise as an opportunity to retrieve their cards.
“We are appealing to all eligible voters who, for one reason or another, have not collected their PVCs, to visit any of our 30 local government offices or the Modakeke area office between 9am and 3pm daily to pick up their cards,” the REC said.
He reminded residents that while fresh registration is ongoing, multiple registration is prohibited, stressing that offenders risk having their data invalidated.
The electoral umpire further noted that unclaimed PVCs amount to thousands of voices shut out of the democratic process, and called on political parties, civil society groups, religious leaders and traditional institutions to help mobilise citizens for prompt collection.
Observers have warned that with Osun’s history of high-stakes governorship contests, leaving nearly half a million PVCs idle could undermine inclusive participation and distort the credibility of future elections.
INEC maintained that ensuring registered voters collect their PVCs remains a critical step in strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
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