The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Cross State, Dr. Okey Ezeani, on Monday disclosed that 26, 466 Permanent Voters Card were distributed to registered voters in the state in three days.

A total of 1,025,760 PVCs were received from the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja for registered voters in Cross River. Out of the figure, only 261,416 PVCs were collected as of September 2014, representing about 60 per cent.

However, Ezeani said going by the latest distribution, which officially reopened on Friday (January 16), over 73 per cent of the PVC had been distributed in the state, adding that the commission might achieve about 100 per cent success at the end of the exercise on February 8.

He spoke in Calabar when he led a team of INEC delegation on courtesy visit to the Cross River State Council of Chiefs chaired by the Paramount Ruler of Bakassi, Etim Okon-Edet.

Ezeani said, “We have achieved 73 per cent distribution so far. Not less than 26, 466 PVCs were collected by registered voters in three days in Cross River. We started this new distribution exercise on January 16 and it will last till February 8. At least 8, 500 PVCs are collected daily and if this is so, we would have exhausted them and achieved 100 per cent distribution by February 8.”

He solicited the support of the traditional rulers in using town criers in their respective domain to reach the grassroots so that all the PVCs could be collected.

He said, “The commission is carrying out aggressive enlightenment programmes to educate and sensitise Nigerians on the activities of the commission towards the elections. Different activities have been organised and some ongoing for stakeholders and voters.”