INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom state, Prof. Anugbum Onuoha, has urged residents to visit their respective wards to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Onuoha made the appeal on Wednesday in Uyo while monitoring the collection of PVCs in the state capital.
He said the monitoring exercise was aimed at ascertaining whether the collection of PVCs was taking place as scheduled.
“I have visited some places, and people are coming out, although I am not encouraged by the turnout.
“The essence of PVC collection is that it is one of the conditions for participating in the elections,” the REC said.
He said anyone who had not registered or collected their PVC would not be able to vote in the forthcoming elections.
Onuoha urged residents who registered between August and December 2025 to come forward and collect their PVCs.
“It is not for everybody. If you registered this year, you should not go to those centres to ask for your PVC.
“However, those who registered earlier but have yet to collect their cards can use this opportunity to do so,” he said.
Onuoha commended INEC officials on duty at various collection centres for their patience and diligence in handling the exercise.
He appealed to the media to continue enlightening the public on the importance of collecting PVCs, describing the media as critical stakeholders in ensuring credible elections.
The REC said those who were unable to collect their PVCs during the ongoing exercise would have to visit their respective local government areas to do so.
Meanwhile, some residents of Uyo commended INEC for what they described as a hitch-free PVC collection process.
One of them, Akanimo Paul, said the INEC officials were attending to applicants promptly and in an orderly manner.
He said he was impressed with the process and encouraged others who had yet to collect their PVCs to take advantage of the opportunity.
Similarly, Mrs Grace Nsikan, a resident of Uyo Village, described the collection process as fast, free and satisfactory.
“You can see that the situation is calm. There is no fighting and no crowd at all.
“I want to get my PVC and be ready to vote for the candidate of my choice in next year’s election,” Nsikan said.