TheNewsGuru

Tag: PVC

  • 2023: INEC engages stakeholders in Delta on PVC collection

    2023: INEC engages stakeholders in Delta on PVC collection

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday engaged stakeholders in Delta on the need to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) for both old and new registrants ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    Rev. Monday Udoh-Tom, the Delta INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), while declaring the sensitisation meeting open in Asaba, said the possession of PVC was a key eligibility criteria for those who desired to come out to give expression to their choices on any election day.

    Udoh-Tom, who was represented by the Administrative Secretary, INEC, Dr Monday Hezekiah, said that the essence of the meeting was to draw attention of the stakeholders to the consequences of not collecting the PVCs by registrants.

    ”The essence of this meeting is to draw attention on the consequences of not collecting the PVCs by registrants, mainly because unlike the previous elections, the use of the number of accredited voters, rather than registered voters, in the event of determination of inconclusive election, has now made the imperative of collecting the PVC an overriding factor.

    ”It is indeed an uncontroversial fact that it will amount to a great injury to the interest of those seeking elective offices, most of whom are your constituents.

    He stated that over 300,000 uncollected PVCs were at the commission’s offices in the 25 local government areas of Delta.

    ”In addition to the figure, we are expecting more PVCs from those who registered between January and July this year, which will definitely increase the stock of PVCs held by the commission,” he said.

    Udoh-Tom, however, reiterated that the commission was determined to do better this time around in the number of those who collected their PVCs as well as those who would vote by ensuring aggressive mobilisation of PVC collection and voting.

    ”We hope to aggressively engage our stakeholders across all strata to attain this objective to ensure all PVCs are collected before the 2023 general elections.”

  • Nigeria Collabo launches PVC collection drive across Nigeria

    Nigeria Collabo launches PVC collection drive across Nigeria

    A group under the auspices of Nigeria Collabo has launched a comprehensive nationwide campaign for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to drive the biggest turnout in the 2023 ballot, a turning point in Nigeria for which 95 million citizens have registered.

    Nigeria Collabo is a coalition of support groups for good governance working with political parties. It has 37 state coordinators, 774 council coordinators, and 8,909 ward coordinators ready to provide support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The group’s President, Pat Utomi, encouraged everyone to increase advocacy on PVC collection, saying “INEC needs assistance, this is the time for the majority of Nigerians to volunteer ourselves to help INEC. We are confident that the election shall be free and fair,” added Eugene Nwosu, leader of Nigeria Diaspora Alliance (NDA), the diaspora partner of Nigeria Collabo, who spoke from Ireland.”

    Nigeria Collabo National Coordinator, John Ewa, said “Upon the data released by INEC sometime in September 2022 stating the high number of PVCs not yet collected by citizens, considering the monumental work at hand for INEC, we mobilized our LGA coordinators to provide the needed on the ground support to voters.

    “As we speak, we have our LGA coordinators providing the needed basic assistance in queue management, crowd coordination, fatigue control and so on.”

    Nigeria Collabo launches PVC collection drive across Nigeria

    According to the group’s National Secretary, Uchenna Ofomota, its members nationwide have been trained to continue to be resourceful and provide technical assistance in their environment.

    In her words: “We have 10 inspirational powers of collaboration that motivate our people to participate in community service honorably.

    “They include Collaboration, Hard work, Discipline, Problem-solving, Unity, Accountability, Creative talent, Love, Integrity and Responsiveness. We launched our LGA mechanization project in the 774 LGA and at the moment we feel the pulse of the election, the people need their PVCs. We encourage other support groups to link up with our team in the LGA to support this great initiative.”

    Nigeria Collabo Director General, Derek Omoleh, who spoke from Abuja, stressed that “our service is driven by three key pillars, namely: Social & Environmental Impact, Political electoral education and thirdly intellectual and SME impact.

    “This is a broad-based strategy but a unique focus that positively influences Nigerians to participate in the development process of the country, especially now.”

  • “PVCs ‘ll be ready for collection in November, 2.7m double registrations deleted”- INEC

    “PVCs ‘ll be ready for collection in November, 2.7m double registrations deleted”- INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mamoud Yakubu, has revealed that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be ready for collection in November, as 2.7 million double registrations have been deleted from the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).

    According to the INEC boss, about 2.7 million double registrations have been removed from the CVR which ended in July.

    He disclosed at a National Endowment for Democracy event in Washington that about 50 percent of PVCs are ready but are yet to be distributed to collection centres, and a new set will be available in November.

    1,126,359 out of the 2, 523,458 PVC registrations between 28 June 2021 and 14 January 2022 were invalid and deleted

    Yakubu’s spokesman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, also quoted him as raising concern about security challenges but he gave an assurance the INEC will do its best.

    “It is a perennial issue because, at the end of the day, it is not new but the dimension of the insecurity is new in the sense that in the past, it was localised or confined to a particular part of the country – the North East but now, it is more widespread,” he said.

    “We are keeping our eyes, particularly, on the North West and the South Eastern part of the country. Elections are conducted by human beings. We worry about the security of our officials, materials, and even the voters themselves. Without them, elections cannot be conducted.

    “We have spoken to the security agencies and they have assured us that the situation will improve before the elections. So, fingers crossed,” Yakubu added.

    INEC National Commissioner and Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman, Festus Okoye, announced in September the discovery of several double, multiple, and ineligible registrants who were invalidated.

    He said cleaning up the Voters’ Register with Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had been ongoing since the suspension of the CVR on 31 July.

    INEC had earlier announced that 1,126,359 out of the 2, 523,458 PVC registrations between 28 June 2021 and 14 January 2022 were invalid and deleted.

  • INEC did not deny anyone the opportunity to get PVC – Official

    INEC did not deny anyone the opportunity to get PVC – Official

    INEC says it did not deny any eligible Nigerian the opportunity to acquire the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) as was being claimed in the media.

    Its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, refuted the claim in Abuja on Monday.

    Okoye said that INEC’s attention was drawn to media reports that about seven million Nigerians who applied for the PVC online during the last Continuous Voter Registration were denied the opportunity.

    “To set the records straight, INEC introduced the online pre-registration on June 28, 2021.

    “By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to start the registration online and then book appointments at their convenience to complete the physical biometric registration at designated centres.

    “It was a novel idea leveraging on technology to ease the registration process,’’ he said.

    Okoye explained that this was in addition to the walk-in option at physical registration centres, where registrants could begin and complete their registration without going through the online pre-registration procedure.

    “For the online pre-registration, 10,487,972 began the process.

    “By the deadline of the exercise, 3,444,378 registrants completed their pre-registration physically at the designated centres in line with laid-down procedure.

    “Some 7,043,594 applicants did not complete the registration and INEC made the information public.

    “This is what some people are now holding on to, to claim that they were denied the opportunity.

    “In reality, they failed to either complete the online enrolment or failed to appear physically at the designated centres to complete the process,’’ he said.

    Okoye added that out of the 7,043,594 who did not complete their registration, 4,161,775 attempted but either did not complete online pre-registration or abandoned it and went for the physical registration.

    “The remaining 2,881,819 registrants completed the online pre-registration but did not show up to complete the physical biometric registration at designated centres before the expiration of the deadline.

    “Therefore, it is clear that no Nigerian was denied the opportunity to complete the online pre-registration,’’ he stressed.

    Okoye appealed to Nigerians to always adhere to timelines as against the endless agitation for eleventh hour extension of set deadlines.

  • Fresh voters’ registration hits 10.4m as INEC suspends CVR

    Fresh voters’ registration hits 10.4m as INEC suspends CVR

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it recorded 10.4 million fresh registration in the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) before its suspension on July 31.

    INEC said this in its CVR Update for Quarter 4, week 16, released on Monday, Aug. 1 in Abuja.

    The commission also said that during the period, 12.2 million registrants completed their registrations, of which 3.4 million registered online, while 8.8 million registered through physical registration.

    INEC gave the gender breakdown of the registrants who completed their registrations to be, 6,074,078 male and 6,224,866 female.

    The update also showed that 8,784,677 of the registrants that completed their registrations were youths, 2,430,709 middle aged, 956,017 elderly, 127,541 old persons, while 87,083 were Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

    INEC also said that during the period of CVR, the commission received 31,098,013 applications including those for voter transfer, requests for replacement of PVCs, update of voter information record, etc, of which 216,442 was from PWDs.

    It gave the gender breakdown of those who applied to be 16,148,645 for male and 14,949,368 from women.

    A breakdown of the completed registration by states showed that Lagos has the highest number of registrants that completed their registration with 585,629 registrants, followed by Kano with 569,103 and Delta with 523,517.

    Ekiti has the lowest number of people who completed registration with 124,844, followed by Yobe 152,414, FCT 211,341 and Imo with 213, 270.

    The last CVR commenced in April 2017 and ended in August 2018, in the lead-up to the 2019 general elections.

    It was scheduled to resume in the first quarter of 2020 but was suspended following the break out of COVID-19 pandemic.

    However, INEC resumed the exercise on June 28, 2021 and suspended it on July 31.

  • INEC urged to further extend deadline for CVR

    INEC urged to further extend deadline for CVR

    A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for Good Governance has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to further extend the July 31 deadline for the suspension of ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    The coalition made the appeal in a letter signed by its Convener, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, addressed to INEC Chairman and submitted at the commission’s headquarters on Friday in Abuja.

    According to the letter, the CSOs urged INEC to magnanimously consider extending the deadline for the exercise in favour of the 2023 general elections.

    The CSOs said that its appeal was anchored on information reaching it from several parts of the country, across the six geo-political zones.

    It stated that large segments of the population have not been able to register after queuing up at various registration centres without any hope of being registered.

    “If this deadline is not extended, millions of Nigerians will be disenfranchised and since this problem may enhance the narrative of marginalisation, which cannot augur well for democracy in Nigeria.

    “During the anticipated extension of the deadline for voter registration, INEC will have the opportunity of addressing the lapses which have been experienced.

    “By law, INEC enjoys the liberty of official closure of 90 days to the elections, so extending it by at least one month will enable good citizens of Nigeria to register,” the letter stated.

    Ndubuaku, who led members of the society in a protest to submit the letter, urged INEC to consider the plead of Nigerians.

    “Somebody might say even if you extend it forever some people might not still register. But so long that we still have crowd at the centres it means that we still have people who are waiting.

    “Some people are afraid that they may not be able to register in the remaining two days.

    “We know the tenacity of INEC that you can extend it a little bit, which will still be within the law.

    “We know you have extended it several times. You have tried, but all over the country there are still long queues,” Ndubuaku said.

    He said while the coalition could not force INEC to extend it as well as know its constraints, they believe that INEC could still consider the request, “even if it is to ask for more fund which is justifiable”.

    Ndubuaku said that if the request could be granted, the coalition made up of about 25 CSOs, would mobilise support of NIgerians for INEC on the exercise.

    Receiving the letter, the Assistant Director, Security Unit, INEC, Mrs Endurance Babaginda, said that the letter would be forwarded to the INEC chairman.

    The commission has fixed July 31 as the deadline to allow it perform the legal requirements it has to undertake before the general elections.

    These includes Clean-up of voter register, display details of the newly registrants at each of the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) across the 774 Local Government Areas and printing of millions of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    The deadline was earlier fixed for June 30.

    The exercise was also extended to eight hours daily from 9 a.m – 5 p.m instead of the previous duration of six hours (9 a.m – 3 p.m) daily; including weekends.

    Registrations from 2011 don’t need revalidation – INEC

    Meanwhile, the INEC in Lagos State said PVCs issued by the commission since 2011 till date do not expire and there is no need for any revalidation.

    INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, made this clarification in a statement on Saturday to reduce crowd at various Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state.

    There has been huge surge in most voter enrollment centres in the state ahead of July 31 CVR deadline.

    There have been speculation on social media that old PVCs needed some revalidation, hence the reason why many people besiege CVR centres daily, while some engage in double and multiple registrations.

    Agbaje also appealed to those who are not registering for the first time or do not have any issue with PVC or fingerprint during accreditation in any past election not to visit the designated voter enrollment centres.

    Agbaje said: “The commission wishes to reiterate that Permanent Voter Cards issued by the independent National Electoral Commission since 2011 till date do not expire and no need for any revalidation.

    “The PVC will work very well with the commission’s new technology code, named Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS), as witnessed in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections recently conducted by the commission.

    “The commission once again appeals to those who are not registering for the first time or do not have any issue with PVC or fingerprint during accreditation in any past election not to visit the designated Physical CVR Centres but address transfer and PVC incidences like damage, deface or loss on the commission’s online portal to reduce the crowd.”

    He said that the CVR, which commenced on June 28, 2021, would end on July 31.

    According to him, all eligible citizens that are yet to register should visit any of the CVR Centres at the INEC headquarters office in Sabo-Yaba.

    Agbaje noted that they could also go to  INEC offices in the 20  local government arears or scheduled wards to do so.

    “The commission is ready to capture all eligible citizens before the end of the exercise,” he added.

    Agbaje said that those that were eligible to register at the CVR centres included Nigerians who had clocked 18 years and above and had not registered before.

    The INEC boss added that registered voters who had had any problem during accreditation for any past election with either PVC or their fingerprints not being read by the Smart Card Reader.

    He said that registered voters who wanted to transfer their voting location from one place to another, correct issues with their data or those whose PVCs were damaged, defaced or lost did not need to visit the CVR Centres but visit the commission’s online CVR platforms; https://cvr.inecnigeria org or https://cvr.inec.gov.ng to address the issue as the case may be.

  • Lawmaker calls on Nigerians, Kogites to get their PVC before INEC 5Days deadline

    Lawmaker calls on Nigerians, Kogites to get their PVC before INEC 5Days deadline

    The lawmaker for Yagba Federal Federal Constituency, Kogi West, Elder Leke Abejide has urged Nigerians and the good people of Kogi State to move quickly and register for their permanent voters cards (PVC) with just five days left before INEC closes the registration.

    The House of Representatives member, who is also Chairman House Committee on Customs gave this indication while addressing Journalists and Pressmen on Tuesday 26th July 2022. He noted that the populace have now understood the fact that power have changed hands to the electorates, and that having their PVCs will allow them to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice in 2023 General Elections.

    The influential lawmaker seeking re-election under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Yagba Federal Constituency Kogi State, is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in Kogi politics after winning his first election with the ADC party in a state where the All Progressive Congress is the dominant force.

    Elder Leke, who is also the convener of the Asiwaju Confluence Campaign Organization (ACCO23′), has completed a number of projects in his constituency and other Regions of Kogi West.
    Recall, the lawmaker made a humanitarian act that is thought to be the first of its type when he donated aid worth more than N500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million) to more than 2000 constituents in Yagba East, Yagba West, and Mopa Muro Federal district.

    He is the only National Assembly Member who has consistently paid WEAC fees for all his Constituents both in Public and Private Schools.

    According to reports, in recent time, his enormous accomplishments have persuaded numerous Kogites to defect to the ADC in solidarity for his excellent performance in the green Chamber.

    The lawmaker, urge all Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity to register while praising INEC for making the process of registering and obtaining a PVC seamless.

    Hon. Leke is an apostle of one man one vote, and “a man of the people.”

  • Osun Guber Poll: US hail conduct, appeals to Nigerians to get PVC

    Osun Guber Poll: US hail conduct, appeals to Nigerians to get PVC

    The United States Mission to Nigeria has congratulated the people of Osun State on the peaceful conduct of the July 16 gubernatorial election in the state.

    A statement by the consulate on Monday commended the July 16 “peaceful gubernatorial elections”.

    The US Consulate hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff and security personnel for conducting a peaceful and transparent election in the state.

    The US noted that their conduct helped facilitate a secure process that reflected the will of the people.

    “We encourage all Nigerian citizens to register to vote now so that your voice can be heard in the national and state elections in 2023”, the statement reads.

    Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeated Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The former Senator won in 17 of the 30 local government areas after polling 403,371 votes; Oyetola got 375,027.

     

     

  • Conversation Nigeriana [1] – By Hope Eghagha

    Conversation Nigeriana [1] – By Hope Eghagha

    Bankole: Shame! Shame! Shame! The presidential candidate of a major political party Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu says he didn’t attend primary and secondary schools. How did he enter a university? I smell a rat!

    Oreva: A big rat smells in the land, smells from Aso Rock and round the states of the federation.

    Okoro: How come he is committing this perjury?

    Bankole: It seems there are issues about his identity and historical past! This is a fantastic story that needs a thorough investigation.

    Bishak: I hope you can prove what you are saying!

    Bankole: Prove? I will answer your query with a question. Did he not declare primary and secondary schools when he contested for governor?

    Bishak: I don’t know. I wouldn’t know.

    Okoro: That is because you don’t care to know!

    Bankole: In the days of Peter Pan or Dele Giwa, journalists would have probed the story of no-school, no-certificate with a broomstick to ferret out his classmates and acquaintances to get the truth. These days they hobnob with politicians for their share of the national cake!

    Okoro: The days of investigative journalism are gone forever!

    Bankole:  What is somebody hiding?

    Oreva: Plenty! There is plenty to hide! But if did not attend primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, which classmate would any classmate be found?

    Bankole: There are classmates! He attended schools in Nigeria. Seek and ye will find, so says the good book.

    Iyortem: Yes, there are classmates. I know some of them!

    Okoro: It is a serious matter. I don’t know what has befallen our country. The incumbent president also has no secondary school certificate. When he was asked to produce one, he took over twenty lawyers, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria to bully the judges in court and to defend his ‘certificatelessness!

    Oreva: That’s a new word in the dictionary! Certificatelessness! I will ask my teacher what it means!

    Okoro: Talking about teachers! I had this teacher in school who used to say something like ‘the dog ate my homework! Hahahahahahaha!

    Oreva: If the dog ate your homework whose fault is it?

    Bishak: Let’s be serious fa! This is not the time to joke please. What does the president need a secondary school certificate for? Secondary school certificate! Look here, you people are searching a malu in a shopping mall. What does a man who had ruled the country as a military Head of State need a secondary school certificate for? That he ruled the country before is enough certificate!

    Bankole: It’s a Constitutional requirement! In his own case, he claimed that though he attended a secondary school, his papers were submitted to Army Headquarters. Army Headquarters said they don’t have his papers. By the way, whoever submits his original certificate to an institution? A fat lie came into the matter at that stage.

    Okoro: it seems it is only Peter Obi that has tendered a certificate to INEC. Atiku Abubakar didn’t declare one either!

    Oreva: Ibabo! You don’t mean this do you?

    Okoro: Every word of it!

    Oreva: Now I know why ASUU has been on strike for five months and it doesn’t perturb Aso Rock!

    Bishak: What is the link?

    Oreva: We are being ruled by ‘certificateless’ people who have no respect for certificates. If they have reached the pinnacle of governance without certificates, why should they bother about irritant communists and socialists in ASUU?

    Bankole: But the strike is beyond ASUU. It is about the lives of our children and grandchildren, the country’s future!

    Oreva: Of course I know. I’m worried about the entrenched culture which promotes mediocrity on account of ethnicity!

    Bishak: You are free to say anything you want to say. That is how your people want to prevent my people from reaching the highest office in the land. Everything is certificate! Certificate! Certificate! Do certificates certify one to be a good leader?

    Iyortem: Wrong! Wrong! Don’t give the impression that the north has no people who are highly certificated. Far from the truth!

    Oreva: What has this country degenerated to?

    Bankole: That is the word- degenerate! We have degenerated and lost all claims to integrity. How can a man who has lied about his early education be allowed to contest for the presidency? Where are the social activists in the country? Why don’t they go to court?

    Oreva: Go to which court? Eh? Which court? Will any judge in Nigeria have the balls? Will any judge dare to disqualify the Presidential candidate of the ruling party? Do you think any sensible judge wants to receive the Onnoghen treatment? Not even the Supreme Court whose head has been tarred with the brush of corruption can do that!

    Iyortem: A Ghana must go bag filled with greenbacks can give you any verdict you want. I hear that judges sometimes write two verdicts. The final verdict is dependent on who pays more!

    Okoro: Is it our judiciary we are discussing in such derogatory terms?

    Iyortem: Yes, it is. The same judiciary that produced the likes of JIC Taylor, Ayo Irikefe, Gaius Tutu-Obaseki, Kayode Eso, Teslim Elias and others? O God of heaven where did we go wrong?

    Bankole: We went wrong when we allowed politicians to soil every facet of our national life!

    Bishak: Are these politicians not from our families, friends, churches and Mosques? How are they different from any of us? We are like the politicians. The politicians are like us.

    Okoro: Tufiakwa! I’m not a politician. I’m a businessman. I don’t play politics with business. I have market to sell; you have market to buy! Finish.

    Oreva: But some of those delegates were businessmen! They sold their consciences!

    Iyortem: Do you blame them? It was a life-time opportunity to reap big money and plough into their businesses. Some of them have suffered for many years, supporting politicians who promptly abandon them once they win elections.

    Bankole: It is time to boycott all the certificateless candidates in the country!

    Oreva: Is this a motion!

    Bankole: Yes

    Oreva: I second it!

    Okoro: I support it too:

    Iyortem: Me too!

    Bishak: Do you have PVCs?

  • PVC: No going back on July 31st deadline – INEC

    PVC: No going back on July 31st deadline – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration would officially end on July 31st, 2022.

    The deadline was extended from June 30th to July 31st after many deliberations and arguments for those who haven’t registered or do proper transfers of their PVCs.

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, made the announcement in a statement in Abuja.

    According to him, the commission was projecting 95 million voters for the 2023 poll.

    Okoye said the commission took the decision following a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 in which it dismissed the suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project which was seeking an extension of the exercise beyond June 2022.

    Okoye however said the Court had now affirmed that INEC was at liberty to appoint a date of its choice to suspend the CVR provided it was not later than 90 days before the date fixed for the general election as provided in Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.

    He said with the judgment of the Federal High Court, all legal encumbrances had been removed

    He said, “In compliance with the interim injunction of the court pending the determination of the substantive suit, and in order to enable more Nigerians to register, the commission continued with the CVR beyond June 30, 2022. For this reason, the CVR has already been extended beyond June 30, 2022 for a period of 15 days.

    ‘’With the judgment of the Federal High Court, all legal encumbrances have now been removed. Accordingly, the Commission has taken the following decisions:

    ‘’The CVR is hereby extended for another two weeks until Sunday July 31 2022, thereby bringing the total duration of the extension to 31 days (1st – 31st July 2022).

    ‘’The exercise has also been extended to eight hours daily from 9.00am – 5.00pm instead of the current duration of six hours (9.00am – 3.00pm) daily; and the exercise is also extended to include weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as against only weekdays.’’

    Okoye said although the timeframe might be tight for many prospective registrants, there was a lot that the Commission was required to do under the electoral legal framework in relation to voter registration and compilation of the register that will require time to accomplish.

    He said the commission would undertake clean-up of the register to remove multiple registrants using the Automated Biometric Identification System.