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Tag: pvcs

  • BREAKING: INEC begins distribution of PVCs in Anambra ahead of Nov. 6 election

    BREAKING: INEC begins distribution of PVCs in Anambra ahead of Nov. 6 election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Anambra State ahead of the November 6 governorship election to be held in the State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports INEC has commenced the distribution of the PVCs at its offices spread across the twenty-one (21) Local Government Areas of the State.

    The Commission had said Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used for the November 6, Anambra State Governorship Election.

    The Accreditation process for the Anambra Governorship Election shall comprise the verification and authentication of voters using the BVAS for cross-checking the voters’ names in the Register of Voters as well as authenticating the voters using their fingerprints or facials.

    INEC had said 81,778 newly printed PVCs were ready for collection in the State. The cards were delivered to its office on Thursday.

    The newly printed PVCs included newly registered voters and those who applied for replacement or transfer of their cards in the state during the just concluded first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration.

    TNG reports Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his entourage comprising National Commissioners, members of the Technical Team, Directors and other Directing Staff arrived in Akwa, the capital of Anambra State on Tuesday.

    Upon arrival, he immediately went into consultation with the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Echeng E. Echeng.

    He also met with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), Anambra State chapter, to discuss the security situation with regard to the governorship election taking place on Saturday 6th November, 2021.

    Prof Yakubu is also billed to attend the traditional and final Stakeholders’ Meeting tomorrow in Awka, to discuss final aspects of the Anambra State Governorship Election, scheduled for Saturday 6th November 2021.

  • 2023: Wake up, get your PVCs – Mr Macaroni

    2023: Wake up, get your PVCs – Mr Macaroni

    Popular Nigerian Instagram comedian and actor, Debo Adebayo better known as Mr Macaroni, has urged young Nigerians to get their PVCs and take voting seriously in 2023.

    Macaroni made this known on his Twitter page saying all politicians in the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are the same and united in corruption.

    According to him, Nigerian youths must not only use voices to speak up but make efforts to get their PVC in order to vote and hold elected government officials responsible.

    Macaroni wrote: “Nigerian Youths, Time no dey oh.Even while we continue to use our voices and platforms to speak Up, we must take voting seriously come 2023!!

    “We know say it’s not easy oh but let’s make efforts!! We must get our PVC and Vote!!!

    “Nigerian Youths, we must wake up ooo. We have only ourselves. Shey una see how dem don dey defect from PDP to APC and from APC to PDP!!

    “They don’t have shame ooo. All of them are the same. They are all United in corruption and impunity. Voting is an Avenue we have to explore.

    “Nigerian Youths. Let’s be informed! Understand the role of elected officers in government and how to hold them accountable, m more information on how to get your PVC and general political participation.”

     

  • Kogi poll: Yahaya Bello buying PVCs for N5000 under disguise of loans – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of purchasing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from registered voters in Kogi State for N5000 each ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

    The Musa Wada Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation raised the alarm in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesman, Faruk Adejoh-Audu.

    According to the PDP campaign organisation, agents of the state government have been traversing villages and communities offering registered voters N5000 in exchange for their PVCs.

    Adejoh-Audu stated that the N5000 is being paid to the poor and indigent communities as “loan” in exchange for their PVCs as “collateral”.

    “Right now, we are informed the agents have been unleashed across the state particularly in rural areas to offer the said cash to poor and indigent people willing to submit their PVC as collateral for the scam.

    “These agents are said to be targeting communities with large voter populations across the state and were sighted in many areas of Kogi East Senatorial District to execute the agenda of disenfranchising as many persons as possible. Reports from the other senatorial districts equally indicate a similar ongoing fraudulent scheme.

    “Our findings indicate that this evil con is designed by the outgoing government as one last impetuous chicanery to stop as many people as possible from besieging the polling units on November 16 to massively evict it from the seat of power it has abused and desecrated for close to four years.

    “The PVC stolen from the people using this decoy will be given to rogue elements to use in voting or to compromised ad-hoc electoral staff to use in hiking accreditation figures in polling units with the ultimate aim of writing results”, the campaign organisation stated.

    Calling on the governor and his All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to play by the rules, the PDP campaign organisation vowed to resist any attempt at manipulating and rigging the upcoming election, using every legitimate means available.

    The campaign said it’s regrettable that after almost four years in power, the Bello administration cannot call in any goodwill or favour from the citizens of the state.

    It knocked the state government for allegedly inventing and devising means of swindling the people of their right to determine who governs them.

    The campaign organisation called on the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence investigation into the allegation, describing it as “treasonable crime” against the people.

    “This Campaign organisation hereby demands that the Directorate of State Services (DSS), the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately commence an investigation into this evil plot which is clearly a treasonable crime against the people and the state.

    “We hereby call on the good people of Kogi State, the labour unions, religious organisations, market women, youth groups, students, community associations and all lovers of the liberty of our dear state to immediately alarm the masses of the ongoing scam using Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) as decoy to rob them of their right to vote.

    “People should be enlightened to immediately raise alarm and call in the police or community leaders if anyone approaches them to submit their PVCs for any reasons whatsoever.

    “The task of liberating Kogi State from the grip of hunger, lack of development,an unfocused and cluelessness government, thuggery and violence belongs to all. We must all rise to defeat this desperate scam”.

  • Available PVCs exceed total registered voters in Oyo

    Indications emerged on Friday that the number of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, in Oyo State is 28,539 higher than the number of registered voters.

    While the aggregate of available PVCs is 2,962,646, the number of registered voters stands at 2,934,107.

    This was revealed from data obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Ibadan, the state capital.

    It had it that 2,176,352 of the voters’ card had been collected.

    However, INEC’s Head of Publicity in the state, Olayiwola Awolowo, explained the causes of the discrepancy in the figures.

    Awolowo explained that some of the owners of the uncollected PVCs are dead, while others had transferred their details to their new locations.

    Awolowo said, “The total number of uncollected PVCs is 786,294 while 2 176,352 PVCs have been collected.

    “The total number of registered voters is 2,934,107. The difference in the figures of the PVCs and registered voters is because some owners of the uncollected PVCs are dead while some have been transferred.

    “All the sensitive materials have been distributed to the INEC offices across the state. As for the sensitive materials, they are still with the CBN. We will call party agents and journalists to witness the distribution of the materials as soon as we are ready.”

    Awolowo stated further that all INEC offices in the state had been secured against attacks by security agents, adding that the commission was fully prepared for the Saturday presidential and National Assembly elections.

    He said 946 card readers were available as backup for those that might malfunction during the exercise, adding that 1,607 new polling units had been created across the state to ease the process.

  • 2019: INEC honours 2face, others for mobilising youths to register for PVCs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday rewarded ace musician Innocent Idibia popularly called 2baba with an award for helping to mobilise youths to register for the 2019 general elections.

    At an election summit where the award was given to 2baba in Abuja on Tuesday, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu said the 2019 general elections will be for young people who constitute 81 per cent of registered voters.

    Also among those given awards was Ambassador Ketil Karlson, Head of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS.

    Yakubu explained that another category of youths were drawn from the National Youth Service Corps and tertiary institutions to man the 119,973 polling centres in the country.

    He said, “About 22.3 million or 26 per cent of those who registered are officially described as students followed by the second category called farmers and fishermen to the tune of 13.6 million, that is 16.2 per cent of the registered voters.

    “But among the farmers and fishermen, the majority are also young people. So, those between the ages of 18 and 35 constitute 42.9 million, roughly 43 million of the registered voters which is 51 per cent of the total number of registered voters in the country.

    “But if you add the middle-aged category of 36-50 which is 25 million or 30 per cent, young people in this country constitute 81 per cent of the registered voters in Nigeria.”

    While commending Tubaba and others for mobilising youths to participate in the voter registration, the INEC boss urged them to continue to tell them to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

     

  • INEC knocks Atiku, denies releasing unclaimed PVCs to APC govs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday denied releasing unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards to governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    Recall that the presidential candidate of main opposition Peoples Democratic Party had, in Osogbo on Tuesday, while addressing a rally held by the party, accused INEC of secretly releasing unclaimed PVCs to some unnamed APC governors.

    But addressing representatives of political parties in Oṣun State at an interactive session, Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said the Commission would never give PVC to anyone by proxy.

    Although Agbaje did not mention Atiku’s name, he, however, in a veiled response to the Ex-VP’s allegations, said, “Some political parties claimed that INEC was releasing unclaimed PVCs to the All Progressive Congress. That is untrue.

    “INEC will never do that. We don’t give PVC by proxy. Our interest is free and fair election and we are working very hard to achieve that. We remain non partisan.”

    The REC declared that the PVCs currently in the Commission’s custody would be available for collection at Registered Areas until Monday, 21st January.

    The INEC boss said a total of 1,254,467 PVCs (75.58%) have been collected, out of 1,681,930 received in the state, leaving a balance of 427,463 PVCs (25.42%) which were yet to be claimed

    Representatives of political parties at the meeting all pledged support for the electoral body to ensure a hitch-free poll.

  • 2019: INEC issues final deadline to collect PVCs

    2019: INEC issues final deadline to collect PVCs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would devolve Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection to Registration Areas and Wards across the country, from Jan. 16.

    The commission said in a statement by Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, on Friday, in Abuja, that deadline for collection of PVCs was Feb. 8.

    The statement said that decision on the issues was taken at the commission’s weekly meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

    It recalled that INEC carried out Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) between April 27, 2017 and Aug. 31, 2018 during which a total of 14, 281,734 new voters were registered.

    It stated that subsequently, the commission printed the PVCs of the new registrants and delivered them to the states.

    It said “collection of PVCs by the public which is being done presently at the Commission’s Local Government offices is to be devolved to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards from Jan. 16 to Jan. 21 (including Saturday and Sunday).

    “After Jan. 21 collection of PVCs will revert to the Commission’s Local Government Offices and other designated centres to be determined by the states until Feb. 8, being the last day for collection.

    “There will be no extension for the collection of PVCs after Feb.8. All uncollected PVCs will be retrieved and kept in a secured place until the general elections are over.

    “There shall be no collection of PVCs by proxy.”

    The commission said that in the spirit of transparency, it would give account of the number of PVCs collected and the balance from previous registrations.

    It urged all registered voters yet to collect their PVCs to seize the opportunity to do so.

  • 2019: Atiku rejects incident forms, insists INEC use card readers, PVCs

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday called for the use of only smart card readers and permanent voter cards in the 2019 elections.

    He said he was concerned about reports that contrary to the 2018 promise by the Independent National Electoral Commission at different times and locations that it would not use the controversial incident forms, INEC had allegedly backtracked and decided to allow the use of incident forms which he said were unreliable.

    Atiku, in a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, said the development was unacceptable to him and the PDP

    According to him, any decision to use incident forms in the February 16, 2019 elections is an attempt to toe the line of President Muhammadu Buhari, who thrice refused to sign the amended Electoral Act, for alleged fear of the use of card readers, which would prevent rigging by desperate power mongers.

    He stated that data from the 2015 elections showed that 75 per cent of the almost 14 million people who voted without biometric accreditation in 2015 were linked to Buhari.

    He said, “There are no reliable and accurate means of knowing who those voters were and whether they were genuine voters or sham voters. This disproportionate number of voters who voted without biometric accreditation in 2015 affected the integrity of those elections and we hold the INEC to its oft-repeated promise not to use anything but the smart card readers and PVCs for the 2019 elections.

    “We know that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been desperate to avoid the use of smart card readers and PVCs for the 2019 elections and the reported volte face by the INEC can only raise concerns about the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau.”

    He told INEC that the world was watching and Nigerians were alert to see if the present INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, and the INEC board would place national interest above narrow oligarchic interest.

    He also reminded Mahmood of his promise to Nigerians at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections which held in Abuja on December 10, 2018, where he said as follows:

    “The commission assures Nigerians that the smart card reader has become an integral part of the electoral process and will be deployed for the conduct of the 2019 General Elections. The commission has taken onboard the challenges and glitches faced in the use and deployment of smart card readers in 2015 and has made significant improvements and upgrade to the said smart card readers.”

  • 2019: Politicians showing desperation to buy PVCs – INEC

    2019: Politicians showing desperation to buy PVCs – INEC

    Politicians are making efforts to buy Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State Mutiu Agboke revealed on Thursday.

    He made the disclosure while addressing reporters on the preparations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for next year election in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital yesterday.

    It was at the one-day seminar organised by the Oyo State chapter of the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (ONPAN).

    Agboke, who declined to give details of the politicians involved, said he got to know through a security report.

    The REC however assured that no politician can get PVCs to buy from INEC.

    His words: “Politicians are looking for PVCs to buy. That’s the security report we get. They are looking for what is not available.

    “They have seen that this election will likely be neck-to-neck. We will allow a process that will not allow anyone to use violence to the disadvantage of another candidate.

    “For those looking for PVCs to buy, there is none. No INEC staff will sell PVCs to anybody. We are monitoring all of them and they all know.”
    Agboke also recalled some politicians have requested a hand-over of uncollected cards to them, promising to distribute to owners who they claim are their supporters.

    He however said the commission will never release PVCs to anyone that is not the real owner.

    He said INEC rule does not allow collection by proxy.

    The REC said voter education and sensitisation being carried out by the umpire have raised the awareness of voters, stressing politicians have realised that INEC would provide a level-playing ground for every party and candidate.

    He said the situation has further made them realise no political party or candidate can boast of easy victory which now makes them work and campaign hard for the election.

    According to him, a total of 914,529 cards were yet to be collected while only 248,064 have been collected since after the 2015 elections.

    He explained the number of uncollected cards include those belonging to deceased registered voters.

    Agboke called on voters to collect their cards, stressing the need for them to play their role in choosing leaders of their choice for the society.

     

  • 2019: Ortom orders arrest of buyers, sellers of PVCs

    The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday, directed security agencies in the state to arrest people buying the Permanent Voter’s Cards.

    Ortom gave the directive on Wednesday in Makurdi while interacting with newsmen.

    He said that the security agencies had been notified of the ugly trend, stressing that anybody found buying PVCs or selling them would be arrested and prosecuted.

    Ortom said that he was aware that members of a political party in the state were buying PVCs. He warned that security men would arrest them.

    “I advise members of the public to be wary of those who will want to dispossess them of their cards under whatever guise,“ he said.