Following videos trending online of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) allegedly buried underground in some locations, including the compound of a high-profile person, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says it has commenced immediate investigation.
The Commission said it is not taking the allegations lightly, stressing that anyone found culpable in “this diabolical scheme clearly intended to disenfranchise Nigerians will be sanctioned under the law”.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye who made this known in a statement on Thursday, emphasized that every eligible Nigerian who registered as a voter is entitled to his/her PVC, adding also that the constitutional right to vote in any election must never be suppressed or abridged in any way.
According to him, “As far as the record of the Commission is concerned, PVCs have been printed for all valid registrants in Nigeria up to 14th January 2022 and delivered to all the States of the Federation for collection by voters. We will not allow retrogressive elements to sabotage our efforts.
“The issues of voter registration, compilation of the voters’ roll and issuance of PVCs are at the heart of any democratic elections and the Commission is working hard to ensure that every eligible citizen who appears in person at the registration venue is registered. We assure Nigerians that this matter will be pursued to its logical conclusion”.
Furthermore, he said, “Already, the Commission is reviewing the procedure for collecting PVCs to make it less cumbersome and more transparent. This will be a major topic at the next regular quarterly meeting with stakeholders so that working together we can find a lasting solution to the issue”.
He appealed to those who found the allegedly buried PVCs to deliver them to the Commission’s nearest State or Local Government office, noting that this will be their patriotic contribution to the consolidation of the electoral process.
