PVC Collection: INEC absence sparks anger in Abia, low turnout in Ebonyi

— Enugu begins exercise, urges voters to verify register

By Steve Oko, Jeff Agbodo & Chinedu Adonu

The commencement of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection in parts of the South-East on Friday was marked by frustration in Abia State over the absence of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials at some centres, while Ebonyi recorded low turnout, with few registered voters showing up to check their details or collect their cards.

In Enugu State, however, INEC urged eligible voters to take advantage of the ongoing PVC collection and the display of the voters’ register for claims and objections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Abia: Voters stranded at collection centres

Eligible voters in Umuahia, Abia State, expressed anger and disappointment over their inability to collect their PVCs on the opening day of the nationwide exercise, following the absence of INEC officials at some designated centres.

At Ugba Primary School, Umuahia, no INEC staff was sighted when Vanguard visited at about 2pm.

Similarly, no official was seen at School Road Primary School when a correspondent visited at about 2.42pm. Inquiries indicated that officials who had earlier arrived for the exercise had left.

Some prospective voters, who said they had made repeated trips to the centres, accused INEC of frustrating their efforts to obtain their PVCs ahead of the 2027 elections.

One of them, Mr Innocent Odoenelam, a resident of World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia, said he rushed to the centre after hearing a radio announcement that the cards were ready for collection, only to be told that officials had closed for the day.

Odoenelam, who said he arrived at about 2.30pm, described the experience as discouraging, noting that the official closing time was 3pm.

He urged INEC to ensure its personnel remained at designated centres throughout the stipulated hours, warning that difficulties in registering and collecting PVCs could discourage eligible voters from participating in elections.

“I feel heavily disappointed because I left a lot of things I should be doing to rush down here to pick up my PVC. I feel discouraged,” he said.

He, however, vowed to return on Monday, saying he remained determined to vote.

Another voter, Mr Francis Egwuibe, said he arrived at the centre as early as 8.30am but left after waiting beyond 9am without seeing any official.

He said he returned in the afternoon, hoping to collect his card, only to discover that the officials had departed.

Egwuibe questioned why INEC personnel could not remain at the centre throughout the announced collection period, considering the time and transportation costs incurred by voters.

He urged the commission to properly educate its staff on their responsibilities, saying the situation raised concerns about the conduct of the exercise.

Similarly, a female voter, Chioma Njoku, accused INEC of treating prospective voters as though they had no value, warning that such experiences could discourage people willing to participate in the electoral process.

The frustrated voters urged the commission to improve its arrangements and ensure eligible citizens could obtain their cards without unnecessary hardship.

At St Stephen’s Primary School, INEC officials were also said to have closed for the day when a correspondent visited at about 3.18pm.

When contacted, INEC spokesperson in Abia State, Mr Victor Abraham, promised to respond after making the necessary inquiries but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Ebonyi: Low turnout as PVC collection begins

In Ebonyi State, the display of the voters’ register and PVC collection commenced, but turnout was low, with few registered voters appearing at the monitored centres.

The state’s INEC Voter Education Officer, Mrs Esther Idam, confirmed the commencement of the exercise and said the commission was prepared to deploy officials to all wards.

She said the exercise would give voters an opportunity to check their names on the register and identify their designated polling units.

Idam urged newly registered voters to visit their wards to collect their PVCs within the stipulated period, warning that uncollected cards would subsequently be returned to the commission’s office for collection.

She said the materials had been distributed to the various wards through INEC offices in the state’s local government areas.

A correspondent who monitored the exercise in Abakaliki observed that INEC officials were present in some wards.

The correspondent also witnessed the distribution of materials at the Abakaliki Local Government Area office, from where they were taken to the respective wards.

However, between 11am and 2pm, only a few people came to check their names on the displayed registers, while no one was observed collecting a PVC during the monitoring period.

Enugu: INEC urges voters to check register

In Enugu State, INEC disclosed that the state had 2,213,768 registered voters and urged eligible residents to participate in the ongoing display of the voters’ register, claims and objections exercise, as well as PVC collection.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, made the call on Friday in Enugu while briefing journalists on the commencement of the nationwide exercise.

Chukwu said the seven-day display and hearing of claims and objections would run from October 9 to 15, 2026, across the state’s 260 Registration Areas in 17 local government areas.

He urged eligible residents to take advantage of the opportunity rather than wait until the last minute.

“I urge all eligible persons concerned to take advantage of this opportunity and avoid waiting until rush hours or the last day before visiting their designated Registration Areas,” he said.

According to him, the exercise would enable eligible citizens to examine the voters’ register and raise legitimate claims or objections regarding entries.

On PVC collection, Chukwu said the exercise covered eligible citizens who registered during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), as well as those who applied to transfer their voting locations or replace lost or damaged cards.

He urged affected persons to visit the appropriate Registration Areas to collect their cards and comply with instructions from designated INEC officials.

The REC clarified that PVC collection would continue until December.

He added that the commission had completed the training and retraining of designated personnel to ensure the smooth conduct of the claims and objections exercise and PVC distribution.

Chukwu said the state’s 2,213,768 registered voters underscored the need to maintain an accurate, credible and up-to-date voters’ register.

The exercise commenced across Enugu State on Friday and was progressing smoothly as of the time of filing this report.

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