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Tag: PVC

  • INEC warns against PVC purchase, hints on identity theft

    INEC warns against PVC purchase, hints on identity theft

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned anyone buying Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2023 general election to desist, noting that identity theft may deprive many Nigerians from voting.

    The commission said such people are only wasting their time, energy and resources.

    Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a training programme for journalists, organized by the state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in collaboration with the commission, INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity- Festus Okoye, noted that technology has helped the electoral umpire to curb vote-buying.

    He said the commission now deals with the fingerprints and faces of voters, which makes it difficult for impersonation.

    “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,” Okoye said.

    The national commissioner, who was represented by the Deputy Director in charge of the Gender Department, Ndidi Okafor, said anyone buying PVCs is embarking on an exercise in futility.

    Okoye also said journalists play critical roles in deepening democracy, hence the need for the training at a time Nigeria is approaching another general election.

    INEC warns against PVC purchase, hints on identity theft
    Festus Okoye

    “It’s because the media is a stakeholder, a critical stakeholder for that matter. So, I want to appeal to you the media, you are a stakeholder.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s personally identifying information, like a person’s name, Social Security number, or credit card number or other financial information, without permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

    Also, Identity theft happens when someone takes your name and personal information (like your social security number or PVC) and uses it without your permission to do.

  • Ebonyi: INEC seeks stakeholders’ collaboration over PVC collection

    Ebonyi: INEC seeks stakeholders’ collaboration over PVC collection

    INEC has called for effective collaboration with different stakeholders in Ebonyi to accelerate the collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) by their owners ahead of the 2023 polls.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mrs Pauline Onyeka, made the call during an expanded stakeholders’ interactive meeting in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

    Onyeka said that the commission was poised to ensure that all registered voters in the state collected their cards within the stipulated time.

    She said that the interaction was meant to enable the commission to update the people on the PVC collection.
    She further said that the commission intended to use the meeting to seek the stakeholders’ support and cooperation to ensure a seamless exercise in the state.

    “This is in line with the commission’s policy of carrying the stakeholders along in its activities as this is a collective venture and shared responsibility.

    “I am particularly happy that despite your tight schedules in this festive period, you were able to spare some time to honour our invitation.

    “It is on record that my predecessor had held meetings with the leadership of the political parties, traditional rulers, media and members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

    “At those meetings, the commission updated the stakeholders with the commission’s timetable.
    “I have equally had a meeting with the members of ICCES during which I expressed concern about the burning down of INEC offices in the state, in particular and South-East as a whole by hoodlums.

    “I had requested that security be beefed up in all the offices and the centres for the collection of PVCs.
    “Security agencies have assured us of adequate protection of INEC offices and staff members,” Onyeka said.

    The REC said that the exercise, which started on Dec. 12 in all INEC Local Government Area (LGA) offices, will last until Jan. 5, 2023.

    “Thereafter, the collection will be moved to the Registration Areas from Jan. 6 to Jan. 15 and then revert to the LGA offices, where it will last until Jan. 22.”

    “The exercise will commence at 9.00 am each day, including Saturdays and Sundays in all the 171 wards, and end at 3:00 pm.

    Onyeka appealed to the chairmen of the 13 LGAs to ensure adequate security for the INEC staff members and commission’s offices in their various councils.

    She said that the PVCs being distributed were for those who did fresh registration, transferred, made corrections or applied for replacement of defaced, lost or damaged ones.

    She further said that the leftover PVCs from the previous voter registration would also be distributed.
    “There will be no voting in the 2023 elections without the PVCs, and no collection of PVCs by proxy.

    “This is why we have invited you to this meeting for us to exchange ideas on how to encourage those who are yet to collect their PVCs to use this window period to obtain theirs.

    “As leaders closer to the people at the grassroots, we implore you to sensitise and enlighten your subjects and members on the need for them to collect their PVCs and safeguard them tenaciously,” the REC said.
    Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, Mr Aliyu Garba, has promised adequate security before, during and after the election.

    He urged the public to report any security breaches within their localities.
    Garba, represented by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Dennis Anyia, implored the stakeholders to assist the

    police in securing INEC facilities domiciled in their areas.

    Contributing, Eze Charles Mkpuma, a member of the state Council of Traditional Rulers, pledged the support and cooperation of the royal fathers in mobilising the people to collect their PVCs.

    He, however, called for adequate security to ensure the protection of people’s lives and property during the exercise and election period.

    The meeting was attended by traditional rulers, security chiefs, leaders of political parties, community leaders and persons living with disabilities, amongst others.

  • 2023: INEC begins distribution of 98,890 PVCs in Jigawa

    2023: INEC begins distribution of 98,890 PVCs in Jigawa

    The Jigawa office of INEC has commenced the distribution of 98,890 Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in the state, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof Muhammad Lawan, made this known at a news conference in Dutse on Monday.

    Lawan said the exercise would be conducted simultaneously at the INEC offices in the 27 local government areas of the state, between Dec. 12 and Jan. 22, 2023

    He added that the distribution will be extended to all ward level (INEC Registration Areas) across the state.

    The REC, who added that the exercise would be conducted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, warned residents against collection of their PVCs by proxy.

    According to him, the commission has made adequate arrangement to ensure that all the PVCs were distributed to their rightful owners within the stipulated period.

    “INEC has made provisions for individual voters to come and collect their PVCs by themselves.

    “So it will be a neglect on the part of the voter if he cannot collect his PVC at this given time.

    “This is because we’ve reached out to owners through social media and other means and notified them to check online if their PVCs were ready for collection.

    “Therefore, voters have between today up to Jan. 22 to collect thier PVCs,” Lawan.

  • No PVC, no vote – INEC tells electorate

    No PVC, no vote – INEC tells electorate

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised people who have registered for their permanent voter cards (PVCs) to collect them, saying, “no PVC, no vote.”

    INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Katsina State, Prof. Ibrahim Yahaya-Makarfi, made the call in Katsina on Sunday.

    According to him, the commission will not allow anyone to vote during the 2023 general elections without presenting his/her PVCs at polling centres.

    He said that INEC suspended the continuous voter registration on July 31 because it was a process of recording and compiling the required details of the electorate.

    Yahaya-Makarfi said that the exercise was carried out to allow all eligible Nigerians to register and collect their PVCs and to enable them to vote for candidates of their choice during the election.

    He said: “Section 16(1) of the Electoral Act empowers the commission to register, print and issue PVC to everyone whose name appears on the register of voters.

    “It should be noted that PVC is a requirement for voting, as provided for in Section 47 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

    “INEC will, as from Dec. 12, commence issuance of PVCs. This will run through Jan. 22, 2023 in all the 34 local government areas of the state.

    “Moreover, the commission also resolves to devolve PVC collection to the 361 registration areas from Jan. 6 to Jan. 15, 2023.”

    The REC called on all eligible and valid registrants to be at the various collection centres to collect their PVCs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, including Saturdays and Sundays, within the stipulated period.

  • 2023 Election: INEC won’t allow PVC collection by proxy

    2023 Election: INEC won’t allow PVC collection by proxy

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it would not allow collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) by proxy.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kebbi State, Alhaji Ahmad Bello-Mahmud, made the assertion in an interview with NAN in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

    The REC, who was reacting to the 67,317 PVCs in its offices awaiting collection by their owners, said that the commission would only hand over the cards to their rightful owners.

    Bello-Mahmud said that the hitherto practice of PVCs being given to party agents, district and village heads for onward distribution to their owners in the various wards, villages, and polling units was no longer tenable

    “For you to get your PVC, you have to personally come forward and collect it yourself. We have emphasised this in a lot of forum, workshops among others.

    “Distribution of voter cards by proxy is no longer acceptable. What we have now is personal collection. Come and collect your own card, don’t send anybody,” he advised.

    On the issue of multiple registration, the commissioner explained that “the kind of machines available now is capable of detecting double registration”, stressing that the new technology had taken care of people intending multiple registration.

    Bello-Mahmud said that registration for PVC was still ongoing and no date had been fixed yet for it to stop.

    NAN reports that this followed a court order that INEC should continue registering people until 90 days to elections.

    “I don’t know how we are going to implement this because it is not easy. This is a process but it is a difficult process.”

    He advised the electorate not to sell or lend out their PVCs to anybody, no matter the promises of incentives, saying that their votes remain their right towards exercising their civic responsibilities.

    The commissioner urged political stakeholders to keep encouraging the electorate to collect their PVCs and keep them properly to elect candidates of their choice for the good of their respective constituencies and the nation at large.

  • INEC laments poor rate of collection of PVC in Adamawa

    INEC laments poor rate of collection of PVC in Adamawa

    The Adamawa office of the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has lamented the poor pace of collection of outstanding voter cards by the electorate in the state.

    Mallam Hudu Yunusa, the newly-deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, expressed the concern at a news conference at the premises of the commission in Yola on Friday.

    He said over 200,000 PVCs, registered since 2019, were lying idle in the offices of the commission across the 21 local government areas.

    He said 36,000 additional voters had been registered during 2022 voter registration.

    “Some of the voter cards are yet to be collected by their original enrollees. ”

    He appealed to the media and the stakeholders to continue to sensitive the electorate to the imperative of the voter cards, stressing the card qualified one as eligible voter.

    The REC, explained that the commission recieved delivery of 4,104 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Result Viewing Portal for deployment to 4,104 polling units for the elections.

    He said the state would host a week long Northeast zonal Technology Training in elections in batches, saying the participants were drawn from Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba states.

    Yunusa appealed to politicians and political parties to conduct themselves with decency, discipline and decorum during their campaigns, stressing that campaigns should be issue-based.

    “We call on the politicians to avoid name dropping, provocative comments, violence, thuggery and engagement of militia,” he said.

    “The Electoral Act prohibits campaigns in worship and public offices, so such attitude would not be condoned by the commission,” he added.

    He said the commission had updated the staff skills through capacity building trainings, seminars and workshops on election issues and processes.

    According to him, the commission has so far recorded 10,000 people who applied to work as ad hoc staff out of the targeted 16,000 required temporary staff for the polls.

    “The commission’s ad hoc staff recruitment portal is still active upto Dec. 14, 2022; we therefore, call on intersted and qualified Nigerians to apply,” he said.

    He said the commission would engage stakeholders on the conduct of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) voting, saying “we would focus our attention on Madagali, Fufore and Yola South local government areas.

    “We are currently displaying the Preliminary Register of Voters (PRV) nationwide from 12th to 28th November 2022 for claims and objections, ” he disclosed.

  • INEC begins display of voters register in Lagos State for claims, objections

    INEC begins display of voters register in Lagos State for claims, objections

    INEC began the display of preliminary voters register across the 245 wards in Lagos State on Saturday for claims and objections.

    Its Public Affairs Officer in Lagos State, Mrs Adenike Oriowo told newsmen that the exercise was in line with the Electoral Law.

    She added that INEC officials would be available in each of the wards between 9.a.m. and 3.p.m. daily from Nov. 12 to Nov. 25 to take records.

    She said the display would hold at the wards from Nov. 12 to Nov. 18 and continue at INEC local government offices from Nov.19 to Nov. 25.

    “We shall also make available yet-to-be-collected old and new Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at each of the wards where we are displaying the preliminary voters’ register.

    “These cards will be available for collection by their owners,’’ Oriowo said.

    She said the display of the register was part of efforts to further clean up the document ahead of the 2023 elections.

    She urged the public to help INEC to identify names of dead people still on the register as well as names of under-age people or foreigners and others who were not eligible to be on the register.

    Oriowo stressed, however, that every claim and objection must be backed with authentic proofs.

    “Lagos residents should take advantage of this and go and check the register to confirm their details and particulars to make sure everything is correct.

    “We want the people of Lagos State and all stakeholders to scrutinise the register for claims and objections.

    “Potential voters should draw INEC’s attention to any corrections in their personal particulars and any malicious registrations, multiple registration, or registration of non-Nigerians,’’ she said.

    Oriowo also told newsmen that INEC was still expecting new PVCs for those who registered between January and July 2022.

    She added that PVCs from previous elections and for those who registered between June 28, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021 would be made available for collection.

  • INEC reacts on attacked office, says over 65,000 uncollected PVCs destroyed in our Ogun office

    INEC reacts on attacked office, says over 65,000 uncollected PVCs destroyed in our Ogun office

     

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says critical election materials were destroyed in the attack at the commission’s local government office in Ogun.

    The commission’s office had been gutted by fire in the early hours of Thursday after suspected hoodlums torched the facility.

    Festus Okoye, INEC’s commission for information and voter education, said over 65,000 uncollected PVCs were destroyed in the fire.

    “The resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Ogun state, Dr. Niyi Ijalaiye, reported that our office in Abeokuta South local government area was attacked and set ablaze,” he said in a statement.

    “The incident occurred around 1.15am when some unidentified persons overpowered the security personnel on duty and set the entire building ablaze.

    “The main building and all the commission’s movable assets in the office were destroyed. They include 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting cubicles, 30 megaphones, 57 election bags, 8 electric power generators and 65,699 uncollected permanent voters cards (PVCs).”

    Okoye said the one of the commission’s offices in Osun was also attacked and set ablaze, and that an emergency security meeting had been called to get to the bottom of the electoral threats.

    Similarly, the resident electoral commissioner for Osun state, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, reported that our office in Ede South local government area was attacked and set ablaze,” he said.

    “The incident occurred in the early hours of this morning when some unidentified persons attacked the building and set a portion of it ablaze.

    “Fortunately, the damage to our Ede South local government [office] was limited to a section of the building and only some furniture items were destroyed.

    “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incidents and they have commenced an investigation.”

    Okoye said, with just 106 days to the 2023 general election when the commission has commenced the movement of materials to its offices nationwide, these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome.

    He said the rising incidents of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of the campaign barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary language by some politicians are extremely disturbing.

    According to him, INEC has convened an emergency meeting of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security (ICES) for Friday to discuss the disturbing trend.

  • Foreigners nabbed with illegally obtained voter’s cards in Oyo

    Foreigners nabbed with illegally obtained voter’s cards in Oyo

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Oyo State Command, says it has arrested and repatriated 18 foreigners for allegedly possessing voter’s cards.

    The NIS Comptroller in the state, Isah Dansuleiman, made this known during a sensitisation programme on the 2023 general elections for stakeholders in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    The theme of the sensitisation programme is “Credible Elections in Nigeria: What is expected of migrants before, during and after the Election”.

    Dansuleiman said that the migrants were arrested during a raid conducted in October by the command across the length and breath of the state.

    The Comptroller said that the foreigners violated the law of the land and were instantly repatriated to their various countries of origin.

    “No migrant regardless of their status should participate in the 2023 general elections and any migrant caught in possession of voters card will face the full wrath of the law.

    “Those using them know their status but use them for their selfish reasons to procure voters cards,” he said.

    The Comptroller warned migrants residing in Oyo State not to involve themselves in the 2023 general elections, saying they are allowed to stay in Nigeria to carry out their legal activities provided they have the required documents.

    Dansuleiman called on Nigerians to report any migrant trying to participate in the general elections.

    He assured Nigerians that the command would not relent at ensuring that the 2023 general elections is free, fair and credible.

    Dansuleiman further called on migrants who are yet to do the migrants re-registration to do so, saying that the command would soon go out to smoke them out.

  • Preliminary register of voters stands at 93.5m – Prof. Mahmood

    Preliminary register of voters stands at 93.5m – Prof. Mahmood

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the number of registered voters in Nigeria, has risen from 84,004,084 to 93,522,272, following the addition of 9,518,188 newly registered voters.

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, INEC Chairman, said this at third quarterly meeting with political parties for 2022 on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Yakubu said that the figure was preliminary as Section 19(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 required the commission to display the hard copies of the register of voters for each Registration Area (ward) and Local Government Area (LGA).

    He added that INEC was also required to simultaneously publish the entire register on its website for two weeks for scrutiny, claims and objections by citizens not later than 90 days to a general election.

    “Accordingly, in the next few days, the commission will print 9,352,228 pages of the register.

    “The hard copy will be displayed for each of the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) and 774 LGAs nationwide while the entire register will be published on our website for claims and objections as required by law.

    “The display of the physical register will take place at the designated centers from Saturday ,Nov. 12 to Friday, Nov. 25.

    “Further details, including the procedure for filing claims and objections, would be released by the commission next week,’’ he said.

    Yakubu appealed to the electorate to seize the opportunity of the display to scrutinise the list and help INEC to clean it up further so that the final register of voters for the 2023 general election can be compiled and published.

    He said that 12,298,944 Nigerians successfully completed the registration as new voters during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) which started on June 28 before its suspension on July 31.

    Yakubu said that after a rigorous cleaning-up of the data using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), a total of 2,780,756 (22.6 per cent) was identified as ineligible registrants and invalidated from the record.

    The INEC chairman said among those affected were double/multiple registrants, under aged persons and out rightly fake registrations that failed to meet the commission’s business rules.

    “Consequently, the number of valid registrations (post-ABIS) is 9,518,188.

    “In terms of demographic distribution, 7.2 million new voters or 76.5 per cent are young people between 18-34 years while there is a slightly higher number of female (4.8 million or 50.82 per cent) than male (4.6 million or 49.18 per cent) voters.

    “In terms of occupation, 3.8 million (40.8 per cent) are students. Hard copies giving the full details of the distribution of the new voters are included in your folders for this meeting.

    “The soft copy has already been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms,’’ he said.

    He said that INEC was working to ensure the completion of printing of remaining PVCs for new voters as well as those that applied for transfer or the replacement of their lost or damaged cards.

    Yakubu said that in the coming days, INEC would inform Nigerians of its detailed plans to ensure a seamless collection of the PVCs.

    He said that INEC had so far successfully implemented nine of the 14 activities for the 2023 general election.

    He added that the commission was making a steady progress in other critical areas of preparations for the election.

    This according to Yakubu, includes the provision of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, the recruitment of staff and planning for the movement of personnel and materials for the election.

    “Only last week, we commenced the training of master trainers on election technology to ensure a seamless process.

    “Beginning from tomorrow, we will commence the same training at zonal level and subsequently train all the ad hoc staff for the 176,846 polling units nationwide,’’ he said.

    Yakubu said that incidence form would not be used in 2023 general election, saying there was no going back on the deployment of technology for the election.

    “On this note, let me once again reassure Nigerians that there is no going back on the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation.

    “There is no going back on the transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time on Election Day.

    “There will be no Incident Form that enables ineligible persons to vote using other people’s Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) during election.

    “We are committed to ensuring that the 2023 general election is transparent and credible, reflecting the will of the Nigerian people,’’ he said.