The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it may burn all Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) that were not claimed by their owners before the 2019 general elections in the country.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mr. Rufus Akeju gave the warning on Monday while addressing a cross section journalists led by the state’s Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), James Sowole in Akure, the state capital.

Mr. Akeju said despite several attempts by the Commission to sensitize prospective voters to come forward to pick their cards, about 370, 464 of the cards still remained unclaimed.

“The Commission is making efforts almost on a daily basis for voters to get their PVCs and if eventually some of them are not collected, the Commission may decide to burn it or make it unusable as to avoid using it to manipulate the coming elections,” Akeju said.

The REC said when the Commission eventually decides on burning the unclaimed cards, the process would be open and transparent for all to see.

While soliciting the support of the media as stakeholders in INEC’s bid to succeed, he assured that the Commission was prepared and poised to deliver credible and improved elections in the country come 2019.