The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State has urged political parties to use meetings with their members and supporters to promote voter education, particularly on the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), rather than focusing solely on political campaigns.
Orange FM’s Joshua Adedeji reports that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Mutiu Agboke, made the appeal at the Ondo South Senatorial District stakeholders’ meeting held in Okitipupa Local Government Area.
The meeting was part of INEC’s efforts to educate residents on the number of uncollected PVCs in its custody and the commission’s level of preparedness ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on the importance of PVC collection to the electoral process, Dr Agboke warned against electoral violence and urged parents and guardians to ensure that their children were not recruited as political thugs during elections.
As part of its voter education campaign, INEC also visited a nearby mosque in Okitipupa, where the REC reminded Muslim faithful that their votes remained a vital instrument for determining who governed them.
He urged eligible voters to collect their PVCs, describing the card as an essential requirement for participating in elections.
The Amapetu of Mahinland, Oba Segun Williams Akinyomi, represented by the Olisa of Mahinland, High Chief Okunuwa Felix Olawasogo, commended INEC for decentralising PVC collection to ward level.
He noted that the initiative would reduce transportation costs and make it easier for residents to collect their cards.
Similarly, a representative of area commanders across Ondo South Senatorial District, CSP Kehinde Babatunde, called for greater public cooperation with security agencies.
He stressed that citizens’ support and collaboration would enable security agencies to perform more effectively and strengthen the electoral process ahead of the forthcoming general elections
