Date: 2018-12-20

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it will extend deadline for the collection of Permanent Voter's Card (PVCs) till one week to commencement of 2019 general election.

Speaking at a voter's education programme organised by the Kwara state directorate of National Orientation Agency (NOA) towards the 2019 general elections in Ilorin on Tuesday, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Garba Attahiru Madami, said that the exercise would be extended "next week from Fridays to Sundays and is expected to be rounded up a week to election".

This is just as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kwara state chapter, warned that it will not defend any pastor arrested for preaching hate speeches ahead of the election.

In his address at the programme, the REC who was represented by head of unit in the commission, Mr. Olusitan Gbenro Ben, said that those who registered during the second and third quarter of 2017 should approach their respective local governments for collection of their PVCs.

He however said that "PVCs registered during third and fourth quarter of 2018, are still being awaited". The REC also said that the commission had activated what he called Registration of Area Camps (RACs) where he said INEC officials work overnight to facilitate early arrival of materials on elections day.

He said RACs was test- run in the recent Ekiti /Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin bye-election election for House of Representatives and was successful.

In his submission at the programme, the state secretary of CAN, Reverend Timothy Ibitoye, said the association had stepped up advocacy against any form of hate speeches in the church and warned that it will not defend any pastor found culpable of such.

Ibitoye said it had come to the notice of the association that some pastors were "preaching what is not Biblical" on the pulpit.

"If any pastor goes to the pulpit preaching hate speech and is arrested by security agents, CAN will not defend that person", he said.

Also speaking, the state commissioner of Information and Communications, Alhaji Ishak Sabi Mohammad, counselled Nigerians irrespective of their religious and political affiliation to, "reject and stand against hate speeches" before, during and after the 2019 general elections.

Director General, National Orientation Agency, Dr. Garba Abari, represented by a deputy director in the agency, Mr Omowa Adelakun, urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the 2019 elections to deepen democracy by coming out enmass to elect patriotic candidates to serve humanity.

NOA's state director, Mr Olusegun Adeyemi admonished prospective voters against selling their PVCs even as he urged them to shun voter's apathy.