The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it had distributed a total of 1,201,073 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to registered voters in Ondo State ahead of the November governorship election in the state.

Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the state, Olusegun Agbaje, said this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure on Wednesday.

He also urged owners of the 344,006 PVCs that were yet to be collected to do so while the distribution exercise lasted.

“It is important to stress at this juncture that only the PVCs would be used to vote during the governorship poll, while the smart card readers would be used for accreditation of voters,’’ Agbaje said.

He warned that selling of PVCs or manipulation of the card was a grievous offence which is punishable under the law with fines or prison term or both.

The REC urged the electorate in the state to have confidence in INEC, assuring that the commission would remain unbiased, neutral and fair to all.

Fatai Adams, the Deputy Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, advised politicians to abide by all electoral rules and regulations so as to ensure peace in the state.

Also, the Ondo State Chairman of KOWA Party, Olanrewaju Atanlogun, urged INEC to tackle the inadequacy of polling units to ensure that no one was disenfranchised.

He also wants INEC to pay special attention to the security situation in the riverside areas of the state.

Rafat Momoh, a member of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria, FOMWAN, Ondo state chapter, called on parents to ensure that their children do not involve themselves in violence during the election.

She pointed out that the children of politicians during elections are usually in other locations enjoying themselves, while other people’s children are used for violence.