The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged to deepened its sensitization drive on the need for the electorates to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2019 election.
The #TakeItBackMovement in Ondo state gave the advice on Thursday morning in a statement issued to journalists in Akure, the capital city.
The press statement was signed by Adewale Momoh, for the Head of Publicity Committee of the #TakeItBackMovement in the state.
Momoh said the electoral body should engage the religious organizations, community leaders and civil society organizations in its drive of sensitizing the people on need to get their PVCs before the 2019 election.
He said that recent disclosure by INEC as regards the low collection of the Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) by electorates in the country has become a major concern among Nigerians and as well the #TakeItBackMovement.
He decried the very wide gap in the collection of the PVCs among the electorates in some of parts of the country and with the 2019 general elections few months away.
According to him, the Southsouth, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest geographical zones enlisted as areas with the highest number of unclaimed PVCs in the country was very alarming.
He said there was need for INEC to amend its timetable for the Continuous Voters Registrations exercise and collection of PVCs from the current daily 9 AM – 3 PM to 7 AM – 6 PM including weekends to enable the full participation of eligible voters.
"As alarming as this could be, it is believed that this is not best of times to be weighing the geographical zones with the highest rate of political consciousness.
"But it is imperative to make it a sense of responsibility by every Nigerian to unite in this civic duty at sensitising one another on the procedure of obtaining the PVCs without hassle.
"As a matter of national urgency, where a small fraction had been issued PVCs out of the large number of registered electorate, INEC should intensify efforts at ensuring that electorate come for their PVCs by engaging religious leaders, community heads, CSOs, NGOs etc in the collection drive".
The group said it would continue to serve as a watchdog to ensure that every eligible voters' are registered and not disenfranchised by INEC in preparation for the 2019 poll.
It tasked the electoral body to again update the general public with the figures of the yet to be claimed PVCs by pasting the data in each of the polling units or political wards.
"With a step further, the data of uncollected PVCs should again be display in each of the polling units before the 2019 elections so as to ensure that greater percentage of voters are not disenfranchised.
"Just as the #TakeItBackMovement has been on vigorous awareness campaign and aggressive sensitisation across the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory, every eligible voter that desire a working and glorious Nigeria should not at this critical time in the country view the PVCs as a choice but rather as necessity which we owe our dear country as Nigerians.
"It is with this drive at rescuing our country from the clinched fists of bad leaders who have refused to take us to our Israel since the days of yore, that the #OndoStateTeam of the #TakeItBackMovement, decided to ensure that the venues of the Continuous Voters' Registration, CVR, exercise across the 18 local government areas of the state are made available to the people of Ondo State.
"This is to ensure that henceforth, majority of Nigerians, particularly the youths, should decide their future" the statement read in part.
