CHAIRMAN of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has restated his Commission that no one would be given Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) after February 8.
He made the declaration on Tuesday in an address he delivered at National Youth Summit for the 2019 general elections in Abuja.
The INEC chairman said the deadline remain sacrosanct and further declared that PVCs not collected would be quarantined.
The INEC chairman who said he would redeem his pledge to declare the total number of collected PVCs before next month election advised the gathering of youths to mobilise their colleagues ahead of the process.
He said: “The next step after registration is to mobilize the youths to collect their PVCs. Without the PVCs, you simply cannot vote. We devolve the collection toward level twice and collection of PVCs will continue until Friday, the 8 of February, essentially eight days to the general elections.
“I want to assure you and assure Nigerians that all uncollected PVCs will be quarantined until after the general elections. And we will make public the number of all collected PVCs nationwide so that citizens will know the number of PVCs collected and the number of PVCs uncollected for the purpose of knowing exactly, out of the 84, 4084 registered voters who will vote in 2019 general elections and who will not.
“I also want to appeal to our Ambassadors to continue to appeal to our youths for peaceful elections in 2019. Conflict, violence, disruption is the exact antithesis of credible elections. Since the majority are young people, you should not allow yourselves to be mobilized for the wrong reasons. Don’t be mobilized for doing the wrong thing by people whose future is already determined.”
The INEC Chairman who further noted that the forthcoming general elections were for the youths since they constitute the highest number of registered voters, applauded them for responding positively to the enactment of the ‘Not Too Young to Run’ Law and urged them to take the polls seriously.
“The 2019 election is actually eligible for the youth. The largest majority of those who registered are young Nigerians. 22.3 million(26%) of those who registered are officially by occupation described as students, followed by the second category called farmers and fishermen with 13.6 million( 16.2%) of the registered voters.
“But among the farmers and fishermen, the majority are also the youth. So, those between the ages of 18 and 35 constitute 42.9 million which is 51% of the total number of registered voters in the country.
“We have a large number of youths participating in elections as candidates. Many of the political parties have nominated young people, thanks to the struggle by YIAGA and others for the ‘Not too Young to Run’. This is yet another example of what I said the 2019 general election is essentially for the youths.”
In his remark, Ketil Karlsen, Head of European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS said the EU would continue to give support to the democratization process in Nigeria. He equally commended INEC for the preparations ahead of the 2019 general elections, while admonishing the youths to seize the initiative of the latitude given them given them.
“The not too young to run is reflecting the spirit of our partnership with Nigeria in the promotion of democracy. Strictly led initiatives, Nigerian led policies and Nigeria institutions because it is not for the European Union to decide for Nigeria but it is the European Union as a true partner of Nigeria, to reach out, to help our partners to our best ability.”
In their separate comments, Bello Shagari, President National Youth Council and Danielson Akpan, President National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS promised to maintain collaboration with INEC to mobilize youths and other Nigerians to participate in the general elections as well as to champion the campaign for peaceful and credible polls.