Politicians mopping up PVCs wasting resources, energy –INEC

Posted by admin Latest Politics, National Politics, Top Stories Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja and Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said politicians buying Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are wasting their time, energy and resources.

National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye, stated this, yesterday, during a training on conflict-sensitive reporting and the 2023 general elections organised for journalists by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with INEC in Ibadan, Oyo State.

He warned politicians and registered voters against identity theft and sales and buying of PVCs saying anyone selling his or her PVCs would be prevented from voting by technology that have been programmed to recognise fingerprints and faces alone for accreditation to vote.

Okoye, represented by the Deputy Director in charge of Gender Department, Ndidi Okafor, said buying PVCs from original owners and distributing such to other people with the aim of using them to get more votes amounts to identity theft. He warned that identity theft would prevent many registered voters from exercising their franchise during the conduct of the general elections next year.

“Anyone buying PVC is embarking on an effort in futility – a futile exercise. It is not possible to snatch ballot boxes and ballot papers again because of technology. The only reason why some people will not vote is identity theft. What we are dealing with is the fingerprint and the face. So, if your finger did not match, then your face must match. If your fingerprint did not match and your face did not match, then you cannot vote, that means you are not the owner of the PVC. That is identity theft.”

National President of NUJ, Chris Iziguso, represented by a member of National Trustees of the council, Abimbola Oyetunde, charged journalists to work for the peace of the country.

Meanwhile, INEC said it has successfully evacuated undistributed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), and other electoral materials to a safe place after the fresh attack on its office in Isu Local Government Area, Imo State office on Tuesday.

It disclosed that though eight windows were smashed, and burglary proofs removed, the attackers could not access the building to vandalise or remove movable, immovable equipment and other materials.

A statement by National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye sadi: “….As a precautionary measure, critical materials such as ballot boxes and voting cubicles have been evacuated to another INEC facility for safe keeping. Similarly, all uncollected PVCs have been secured while security will be deployed to ensure the continuous collection of the cards by registered voters in the same premises…

“The incident has been reported to the Police and other security agencies for necessary action. This is the fourth attack on INEC facilities in Imo State in less than three weeks following previous attacks on Orlu and Oru West LGA and the State Headquarters in Owerri,” the statement read.

-SUNwp_posts