The Oyo State Government has declared Friday, August 15 public holiday in the state.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, in Ibadan on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the public holiday is to allow for massive turn-out of people for the collection of permanent voters’ cards (PVC) which begins in the state on Friday.
Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi has urged the people of the state to turn out en masse to obtain the PVC to be issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While stressing the importance of collecting the PVC, he said that the card would give them the opportunity to exercise their civic rights and choose people of their choice to represent them during the 2015 general elections.
“I like to inform the good people of Oyo State that it is very important for them, particularly those who had earlier registered and obtained the temporary voters’ cards, to collect the permanent ones. It is the opportunity they have not to disenfranchise themselves during the forthcoming general elections,” he said.
Ajimobi also reminded them that if they failed to collect the cards, they might be preparing veritable grounds for unscrupulous elements and desperate politicians to tamper with the cards and use them to rig elections.
“Experience from the elections held in some states in recent times has shown the dangers inherent in failing to collect permanent voters’ cards. Such uncollected cards may find their ways into the hands of desperate politicians who are bent on winning elections through the back door. We should, therefore, ensure that we collect the cards in order not to give room for election rigging and manipulations,” he said.
The governor also enjoined the people not to sell their voters’ cards for whatever reason, as this might deny them the opportunity of choosing the right people to lead them.
