Over 300 permanent voter cards are yet to be collected in the Federal Capital Territory, 24 hours before the expiration of the deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the collection of PVCs.
A document obtained by our correspondent from the INEC FCT office showed that the total number of uncollected PVCs from 2011 and 2019 was 229,371, while the number uncollected between 2021 and January 30, 2023, was 79, 817.
A further breakdown showed that among the six area councils in the territory, Abuja Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of uncollected PVCs with 193, 955 uncollected, while Bwari and Gwagwalada had 64,516 and 25,126 uncollected PVCs respectively.
Kwali Area Council had 16,585, Kuje, 5,651; and Abaji, 3,355, totalling 309,188 uncollected PVCs.
INEC had extended the January 29, 2023, PVC collection deadline to February 5, 2023, to enable citizens to collect their voter cards at least two weeks before the February 25 general elections.
The extension came after the electoral body had earlier given a one-week extension from the earlier deadline date of January 22, 2023.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, had in a statement said the February 5 deadline would be the last extension given by the commission.
He noted that the time for the daily collection, including Saturdays and Sundays, would be extended by two hours, to end at 5pm.
