The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that over 1.5 million registered voters have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections slated for Saturday, February 21.

INEC, in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, described the PVC collection exercise across the six area councils of the FCT as impressive.

Haruna revealed that out of 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT, a total of 1,587,025 had collected their PVCs as of February 10, representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate. He added that 93,290 PVCs remain uncollected.

A breakdown of the figures shows that Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters, representing 95 per cent. Bwari Area Council had 276,360 PVCs collected out of 295,711 registered voters, translating to 93.5 per cent.

In Gwagwalada, 196,184 voters collected their PVCs out of 208,057 registered voters, accounting for 94.3 per cent, while Kuje recorded one of the highest rates with 144,109 PVCs collected out of 148,286 registered voters, representing 97.2 per cent.

Similarly, Kwali Area Council posted 99,774 PVCs collected from 107,203 registered voters, indicating a 93.1 per cent collection rate. The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recorded 795,081 PVCs collected out of 841,587 registered voters, representing 94.5 per cent.

Haruna further disclosed that several Registration Areas recorded exceptionally high collection rates, with some exceeding 99 per cent, underscoring strong grassroots participation across the territory.

He commended residents of the FCT for their active participation during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and PVC collection exercises, noting that the figures reflect strong voter readiness for the forthcoming council polls.

The INEC commissioner reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs would be accredited and allowed to vote on election day, assuring that the commission had made adequate arrangements to ensure a credible and hitch-free exercise.