The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised the alarm that some
politicians have been buying up Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and financially
inducing unsuspecting voters to harvest their Voter Identification Numbers.
The Acting
Chairman of INEC and National Commissioner overseeing the FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna
and Plateau states, Mohammed Haruna, raised the alarm on Monday during the
launch of #YourVoteMatters project by an election observer group, NESSACTION,
in Abuja, where he disclosed that two people have been recently convicted for
illegal possession of PVCs in Sokoto and Kano states.
The project, supported by the International Foundation for Electoral System,
IFES; the United States Agency for International Development, USAID; and the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, seeks to assist INEC in
increasing the number of PVCs collected ahead of the 2023 general elections as
well as the voters mobilised on Election Day.
Speaking,
the INEC National Commissioner also warned the electorates to desist from
compromising the ownership of their PVCs; saying, “We are aware some
politicians are more or less buying the PVCs. If you collect the PVC and then
you sell it out or allow someone else to have it, you are aiding illegal
possession of the PVC which is an offence in our Electoral Act.
“Some of you are aware that only recently, INEC managed to convict two
people who were found guilty of illegal possession of PVC’s in Kano and Sokoto.
So, I urge people to connect their PVCs, keep it safely, and make sure that on
Election Day, you go out there and cast youtr votes because, of course, without
your PVC you cannot vote,” he added.
On her part, the Executive Director of NESSACTION, Ambassador Eniola Cole,
explained that the project slated for implementation in the FCT, Nasarawa, and
Plateau states, will provide logistics to incentivise communities with low PVC
collection rates. While commending INEC for gains made in the electoral process
through technology and other reforms, she said, “We implore the general public
to take advantage of the timeframe set by INEC for PVC collection at the
Commission’s LGA offices nationwide from December 12, 2022 to January 5, 2023,
and at the 8809 Registration Areas from January 6, 2023 to January 22, 2023
including Saturdays and Sundays.
“The public can, through dedicated channels, inform us of their location
in order to receive support including the PVC collection buses and
community outreach activities to be conducted at the local level in each state
by our community mobilisation officers,” she added.
