Eligible voters could not collect their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) in some wards on Friday in Oredo local government area of Edo following allegation that the register was missing.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored the distribution of the PVCs reports that the register was missing at Unit 16 Ward 12, and Unit 25 Ward seven in Oredo.
A voter at Unit 16, Mr David Aiyegbeni, told NAN that he wondered how the register could be missing when it was what they used in previous elections.
“We could not find our names in the register. I am sure INEC is playing pranks,” he said.
The state Commissioner for Works, Mr Osarodion Ogie, who collected his card at Ugbekun Primary School, however, described the exercise as peaceful and expressed optimism that INEC would fix all hitches before Sunday.
The National Coordinator of Justice Research Centre, an NGO, Mr Inwalomhe Donald, said there were complaints of missing names at several wards his group monitored.
The Corps’ members assigned to distribute the PVCs in Unit six, Ward two at Oredo were stranded at the Government Reservation Area as they could not locate the centre.
As at 12 p.m. the NYSC members were seen sitting at Idah primary school waiting for a vehicle to convey them to the area.
The Woman Leader in Unit six, Mrs Stella Ekhator, said many voters were waiting at their polling units to collect their voters’ cards.
“People are waiting for INEC since morning but they said there are no vehicles to take them there. We are tired,” she said.
NAN also reports that Unit six comprises of many rural communities in Ward two.
One of the corps members, who gave his name as Tony Amaechi, said they returned because they could not locate their area of assignment.
He said they were still awaiting INEC officials who promised to convey them to the centre.
Reacting to the development, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Baritor Kpagih, assured that the commission would soon fix the complaints.
However, Kpagih did not state the number of PVCs to be distributed in the state and declined further comments on the alleged missing registers.