Politics
Anthony Isibor.
THE Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has vowed to punish everyone involved in the buried Permanent Voters Cards, PVC’s, incident.
Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee said in a statement on Thursday, July 14, 2022 that the Commission had since commenced investigation into the matter, noting that every eligible Nigerian, who registered as a voter is entitled to his/her PVC.
The statement followed a video which has since gone viral on social media of some Permanent Voters Cards allegedly buried underground in some locations, including the compound of a high-profile person.
It also noted that the constitutional right to vote in any election must never be suppressed or abridged in any way and described the purported video as a diabolical scheme intended to disenfranchise Nigerians.
According to the statement, 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.
“Already, the Commission is reviewing the procedure for collecting PVCs to make it less cumbersome and more transparent,” it said.
It added that the new revelation will be a major topic at the next regular quarterly meeting with stakeholders so that together they can find a lasting solution to the issue.
It also appealed to those who found the allegedly buried PVCs to deliver them to our nearest state or Local Government office, as their patriotic contribution to the consolidation of the country’s electoral process.
A.I
Tags: Festus Okoye INEC
