Must Read! PVC News Update Across States

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Niger, on Tuesday, said it had distributed more than 1.4 million out of the 2.1 million permanent voter cards (PVC) meant for registered voters in the state.

INEC’s spokesman in the state, Alhaji Mohammad Wase, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, the state capital.

Wase said that 34,000 PVCs were distributed to the electorate in Suleja on Monday, adding that 24, 000 more would be distributed to complete the needed number of cards for registered voters in the area.

He added that the commission would ensure that the remaining 700,000 PVCs for the state would be distributed shared before the end of the exercise next week.

“We are having large turnout of people and our members of staff are ready and fully mobilised to attend to people at all times. We shall continue with the distribution until the last day of the exercise,” he said.

...672,000 PVCs in Ogun
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, said it had distributed over 672,000 permanent voter cards (PVCs) in Ogun State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Timothy Ibitoye, said this in Ijebu-Ode, during a visit to Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland.

Ibitoye said the figure represented 50 per cent of the 1.22 million cards received for the registered voters in the state.

He said eligible voters yet to obtain their cards should be patient as the commission would distribute the outstanding cards before February 14.

Ibitoye, however, warned that the commission would insist on its policy of “no PVC, no voting.”

He said smartcard readers would be used at the general election for accreditation of voters, adding that no one should be seen with more than one card.

“The introduction of the smartcard reader by the commission is a new initiative to ensure that the exercise is free, fair and credible. If the card you are holding belongs to INEC, it will read it and tell you that you have a genuine card.

“I can assure you that the system will only be able to read cards generated by INEC and exposes any fraudulent scheme, especially cloned cards,” Ibitoye said.

He said the success of the polls was everyone’s responsibility, adding that, “I want to use the opportunity to appeal to our traditional leaders to help us maintain peace at the polls.

”Our Obas should help us to appeal to their people to go and collect their cards being made available as we speak.

“INEC is not planning to disenfranchise anybody and we shall distribute the outstanding cards before the commencement of the elections by God’s grace. February 14 and 28 dates are sacrosanct and I want to assure you that the exercise will be free, fair and credible,” Ibitoye said.

Niger, Imo declare 2-day public holiday for PVC collection
Adelowo Oladipo-Minna and Joe Nwachukwu-Owerri

Niger State government has declared tomorrow and Friday as work-free days, to enable eligible voters to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs), ahead of the general election.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Israel Ayegba Ebije, said the two-day holiday was to enable eligible voters yo collect PVCs before the new deadline of February 8 set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) elapses.

Ebije said the state government is resolved to ensure nobody was disenfranchised on account of failure to collect PVCs, adding that the work-free days would enable the people to collect their PVCs within the limited timeframe.

 The governors’ spokesman, while noting that Federal Government establishments and business organisations are not part of the work-free days, urged Niger State civil servants to use the period to mobilise people at the grassroots to collect their PVCs.

He, therefore, called on those who had earlier registered for their PVCs to go and get them at designated collection points, adding that they should not repeat mistakes made in previous elections, where voter cards were abandoned by registered voters.

“Your PVCs are not just ordinary cards; they are a veritable tool, which you would use to elect your preferred candidates in the coming elections and many more elections to come. It is, therefore, instructive for every eligible voter to collect his or her voter card,” the statement added.

In a related development, Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, also declared tomorrow and Friday as work-free days, to enable government workers in the state to obtain their PVCs.

Okorocha announced this while addressing school principals, head teachers and teachers in public schools at the Imo International Conference Centre, Owerri.

He stated that the workers, as well as other citizens, who had not collected their PVCs would do so within the two-day public holidays, to enable them participate in the general election, noting that it was the only way the people could defend democracy and safeguard the future of Imo State.

Okorocha commended the teachers for their input in ensuring the success of free education in the state, while reminding them that they owe” it as a duty to give the students proper care just as government had met its obligations to teachers and civil servants through regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensions. 

He noted that for the first time, teachers in the state were promoted to Level 17. 

“All these and other welfare packages have made strike a forgotten issue in Imo State,” he observed.

... Over 900,000 PVCs in Ondo  —REC
Jacob Segun Olatunji-Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed 977,727 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Ondo State to eligible voters, ahead of the forthcoming general election, out of the 1,494,169 total number of PVCs received in the state by the Commission.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Segun Agbaje, who disclosed this to Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, during an interview said that the distribution of the non-sensitive materials to all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state would end by this weekend.

According to Agbaje, “we are preparing very well for the elections as we ought to do in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). All non-sensitive materials would be deployed to the LGAs before the end of the week as security arrangements for their movement is almost concluded with the state Commissioner of Police and other security agencies.

“We received a total of 1,494,169 PVCs in the state, out of which we have distributed 977,727 representing 65.4 per cent and the remaining 516,442 representing 34.6 per cent. This is as of Monday, February 2, therefore, as we speak now, the figures must have changed because the distribution is still ongoing.”

Speaking on other preparations for the smooth conduct of the elections in the state, Agbaje said, “The training of electoral officers had been completed while that of Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) started on Monday, February 2 and will end on February 4.

Alleged

purchase of PVCs, a waste of time  —C’River REC
Ubong Anthony-Calaabr

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross River State, Mr Sylvester Ezeani, has said that the alleged purchase of permanent voter cards (PVCs) by some politicians was a sheer waste of time and resources, noting that their actions were based on ignorance of recent development in the electoral processes.

Ezeani, who stated this during an interaction with journalists on Tuesday, said, “with the use of the card reader and other electronic security measures put in place, it will be a waste of money to do that because you cannot use anybody’s PVC, even for accreditation.

“It is just to end up disenfranchising someone else because there is nothing you can do with the card basically,” he said.

He also disclosed that INEC had so far distributed over 80 per cent of PVCs in Cross River State.

The REC, who frowned on the alleged attacks on some journalists during the primaries of political parties in the country, also to disclosed that the commission recently received 3,057 card readers in preparation for the forthcoming elections.

“Roughly, we have a leftover of about 219,000 uncollected PVCs based on the last figure we had.

“The readers are meant for accreditation and every polling unit or voting point must have a card reader. We have received 3,057 card readers in the state,” he said.

While assuring journalists and the public of adequate security during the polls, he hinted that the commission is currently working in partnership with security agencies to ensure a smooth exercise.

Nigeriain Tribune