INEC denies missing PVCs claim in Ondo
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Independent National Electoral Commission has maintained that no Permanent Voter Card is missing in Ondo State, dismissing allegations of irregularities in the distribution of the cards in Akoko South-West Local Government Area.
The commission was reacting to a call by the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate for Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal Constituency, Adeyeri Stephen, for an investigation into claims of missing PVCs in Iwaro-Oka.
In a statement issued on Thursday, INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Olayinka Ogunseye, who spoke on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, described the allegation as misleading, insisting that all cards supplied to the state had been accounted for.
The commission explained that the PVCs currently available were for voters who transferred their registration and those captured during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise held between August and December 2025. Cards for subsequent phases, it said, were not yet ready for collection.
INEC added that its records for Polling Unit 12, Igbeyinadu Quarters, Ward 7, Oka V, Owalusin/Ayepe, in Akoko South-West, matched the number of cards received from its national headquarters in Abuja. It said the collection register contained names of applicants from all three registration phases, explaining that some voters might not find their cards because production or delivery for their registration categories was still pending.
The commission urged political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to confirm information with its Ondo office before making public claims that could create tension or erode public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC said ward-level PVC collection ended on Thursday, October 15, while collection would continue at its offices in the state’s 18 local government areas from Friday, October 16.
It further urged eligible voters to collect their cards, adding that elections in Ondo would be decided by the votes cast by the electorate.
