Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended deadline for collection of permanent voters cards (PVC) by three days.

Collection of PVCs was scheduled to end on Friday, February 8. The agency has now extended it to Monday, February 11.

INEC Chairman, Mr Mahmoud Yakubu, said the decision was as a result of complaints received by the agency.

He spoke at the opening of a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) in Abuja on Friday.

Yakubu said the extension of the deadline is to ensure no eligible Nigerian is disfranchised because of inability to collect their PVCs.

He said officials will work on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. during the exercise.

There have been complaints by Nigerians over the difficulties they encountered in trying to collect their PVCs.

INEC in many states as late as this week complained that hundreds of thousands of PVCs were still to be collected.

To ensure more people collect the cards, INEC in many local government areas has decentralised the collection points.

A registered voter cannot vote without the PVCs, which must be produced at the polling centre.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday complained that many Nigerians were yet to collect the PVCs and urged INEC to extend the deadline for the collection of the cards.

With the new arrangement, voters will be able to collect the cards four days before the general election begins on February 16 across Nigeria with presidential and National Assembly polls.

PT