Tag: Inec

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Delta State, yesterday, said it had distributed 1,431,500 of the 1,911,332 permanent voter cards.

The figure, according to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Aneidi-Abasi Ikiowak, represents 75% of the number of voter cards distributed, adding that the distribution of unclaimed 479,832 PVC’s had continued in the 25 local government areas of the state.

Ikiowak, who spoke in Asaba-the Delta State capital, said the PVC’s were printed after the 2010 voters’ registration conducted in the state.

He urged those yet to collect their PVC’s to do so.

‘I have instructed electoral officers to distribute these cards even in markets and churches provided that the owners will sign attestation documents,” the REC said, adding that some of the unclaimed cards belonged to those who had relocated from Delta State or transferred their voting points from Delta to other states.

Ikiowak said the owners of some of the unclaimed cards may have been deceased, adding that the electoral body found that some of the cards belonged to some students of tertiary institutions who had left the state after graduation.

He said the electoral body had received 365,280 additional PVC’s for those that registered during the last continuous registration exercise and those that transferred to Delta State.

He said the additional cards were being sorted, and promised that distribution would commence by weekend.

Ikiowak said the commission had received 4,380 card readers for the 3,624 polling units, adding that some of the cards readers were reserves.

He said 22,000 ad hoc staff drawn from the NYSC, staff of Federal Government owned establishments would be engaged for the elections.

Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa State Mr. Barikor Kpagih has lamented the lack of interest among residents of Yenagoa in the collection of their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Kpagih spoke in Yenagoa yesterday during an enlightenment forum organised by the state Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.

He noted that other seven local government areas had attained 95 per cent collection of their PVCs, except Yenagoa with 51.3 per cent.

He said 54,000 PVCs in Yenagoa local government area were yet to be collected, adding that the distribution of the PVCs had been decentralised.

Kpagih said: ‘’This situation exists notwithstanding that Yenagoa has 15 wards and we have centers for distribution in all of them.

“However, we are even increasing the distribution points in Yenagoa alone in order to bring the distribution exercise even closer to the people.”

He appealed to persons who registered in 2011 to come forward to collect their PVCs, saying that those who registered during the continuous voters registration exercise last year would receive their PVCs next week.

While announcing the guidelines for the conduct of the elections, he said voting procedure comprised three main segments.

He said: ‘’The first has to do with accreditation of voters which commences at 8.am to end at 1pm. Accreditation will be carried out first by the use of the card readers.

“This will be followed by checking the voters register and inking of the cuticle of the specified finger on the left hand.”

He said the second and third segments include voting, which he said would begin at 1.30pm, followed by counting and documentation.

In spite of the subtle plot to postpone next month’s general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is forging ahead with its preparations.

The commission has released the breakdown of 119, 973 polling units where the elections will hold nationwide.

All Polling Units (PUs) in private compounds, mosques and churches have been relocated – in line with international best practices.

Besides, INEC has blocked the cloning of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by desperate politicians through the deployment of Smart Card Readers.

With the distribution of 145,000 Smart Card Readers, no one can use stolen or purchased PVCs.

There have been calls in some circles for the postponement of theelections, but INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega has told the United States, the European Union (EU) and international organisations that the election will hold as scheduled on February 14 and 28.

Jega has also met with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) where it was decided that the polls must go on as scheduled.

The INEC boss has got support from many quarters to hold the elections.

A one-time president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi said yesterday in Ilorin that the call for polls shift is “suspicious” and “mischievous”.

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) also said yesterday that calling for a postponement was unacceptable because it could lead to civil unrest.

The same position was expressed by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) made up of 2 political parties.

To them a shift will send a wrong signal and throw the country into chaos and anarchy.

A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “From the reports delivered by all departments, units and RECs, there is no reason we will not go ahead with the elections as from February 14.

“We are going ahead with preparations for the polls irrespective of issues being raised by some people. The INEC chairman has refrained from making comments to avoid the electoral body being accused of bias.”

It was gathered that at the operational meeting and a session with political parties on Tuesday, INEC released the breakdown of 119, 973 Polling Units (PUs) where the elections will hold nationwide.

The commission has also given a list of how the 145,000 smart cards were deployed in all the polling units to the parties.

The breakdown of the 119,973 polling units in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT)  is as follows: Abia (2,675); Adamawa(2,608); Akwa Ibom(2,980); Anambra(4,608); Bauchi(4,074); Bayelsa(1,804); Benue(3,688); Borno(3,933); Cross River(2,283); Delta(3,624);  Ebonyi(1,785); Edo(2,627); and Ekiti(2, 195).

Others are Enugu(2,958); FCT(562); Gombe(2,218); Imo(3,523); Jigawa(3,527); Kaduna(5,101); Kano(8,074); Katsina(4,901); Kebbi(2,398); Kogi(2,548); and Kwara (1,872).

The  PUs in the remaining states are: Lagos(8,462); Nasarawa(1,495); Niger(3,185); Ogun(3,213); Ondo(3,009); Osun(3,010); Oyo(4,783); Plateau(2, 631); Rivers(4,442); Sokoto(3, 035); Taraba(1,912); Yobe(1,714); and Zamfara(2,516).

A National Commissioner said: “We have developed a general framework for Polling Units, in line with international standards. This is why we have relocated all PUs from churches, mosques, private compounds and even verandah of schools.

“The electoral benchmark is that all PUs should be inside enclosures to be able to monitor the voting process and ensure effective control of the situation.”

 INEC has shared 145,000 Smart Reader Cards (SRCs) to all the RECs in the 36 states and FCT to check rigging or manipulation during the elections with cloned/ stolen/ purchased PVCs.

The National Commissioner added: “These Smart Reader Cards will authenticate the holder of any PVC, confirm his or her finger print and detect fake or cloned PVC.

“The SRCs help to count and record every accreditation done at the PUs. So, the question of rigging will not be there at all. Those busy cloning or buying cards will meet their waterloo at the Polling Units.

“The introduction of SRCs explains why we cannot allow those with temporary voter cards to vote in February. We have 119, 973 polling units but we have deployed 145,000 SRCs to all the states and the FCT.”

The Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER) yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject the call for the postponement of the general elections.

Its Coordinator, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, also advised the commission to continue the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) till February 14 when the polls will kick off.

In a statement he issued in Lagos, Opadokun accused those calling for polls’ shift because of the PVCs controversy of having a hidden agenda, urging the electoral body to ignore them.

     He said: “Given the analysis of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collection on regional exercise, INEC and the electorate certainly need to demonstrate greater resolve to ensure that all registered voters are able to collect their PVC without further frustration.

“The marked wide difference between 80 per cent and 40 per cent respectively in the average collection rates in the Northern and Southern states indicate strongly that the INEC, the political parties and the non-government organisations whose thrust is about credible elections must provide more intensive advocacy about the significance of the PVCs.”

 Opadokun alleged that INEC deliberately created the current logjam because it ignored the advice to test-run the recently acquired Card Readers in Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. He lamented that the commission responded by saying that “the Card Readers will not be used because the elections in those two states will be keenly contested.”

 He added: “The current INEC announcement that voters who have not been able to collect their PVC should go and collect them in their respective Local Governments and registration centres have not significantly improve the number of PVC that have been collected. INEC had about four years to have prepared a seamless exercise for the production and distribution of PVC.

“The revelation from the Sultan of Sokoto that he has not been able to collect his own personal voter’s card is a significant illustration of the level of agony that voters are going through. Some have revealed to CODER as to how they have visited registration centres and in their respective Local Government areas where they reside and were unable to collect the PVC due to a number of incidences e.g Names not found in the register even though they presented their Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs). Others who were asked to re-register after doing so are facing strenuous and stressful exercise that has taken some of them many days without securing the PVCs.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, Akin Orebiyii, has said 15,000 ballot boxes, 10,000 smart card readers, generators and other election materials have been delivered to the state.

Orebiyii, who spoke at a stakeholders meeting organised by the police, said the state was among those with low turnout in PVCs’ collection.

The REC said of the four million PVCs available, only 2.3million have been collected.

He said to make the collection process easier, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had extended distribution points to the 245 collation centres, an improvement to the 20 INEC local government offices that were usually used.

Orebiyii urged politicians to ensure that their supporters  come forward for the PVCs, noting that the commission has no plan to allow people vote with Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs).

He said: “INEC is ready to conduct this election. We have made all necessary preparations and even provided for plan B.

“Let me use this opportunity to apologise to the people on the issue of the PVCs.

 “But here in Lagos, we have had four million PVCs of the total 5.9 million registered voters and only 2.3 million have been collected.

“We have gotten 139 boxes of PVCs. People have not been coming to collect them.

“Those who registered in 2011 and whose PVCs are ready for collection should go and collect them.

“For those who registered in 2011, who saw their names on the displayed register at the polling units, their cards will be at the collection centres next week.

“INEC has not disenfranchised anyone, group, political party or any part of the country.

“We do not know what party they will vote for or where they will be on election days.”

He added that the commission has made it impossible for any individual or group to influence the electoral process through the introduction of the smart card readers.

The REC said the card readers will be used to authenticate a PVC during accreditation and eradicate multiple voting.

“Any plan to undermine the electoral process will not work because we have also made alternative plans to combat likely challenges.

“Sensitive materials will be in serial numbers and colour coded.

“They will be moved in advance. On February 11, the materials will be delivered to INEC by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“The following day, they will leave the state office to INEC’s 20 local government offices and on February 13, the materials will be moved to the 245 registration area camps.

“On election day, accreditation will start by 8am and close  by 1pm. Voting will begin at 1:30pm, until the last accredited person has voted.”

At the meeting were the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti,  Senators Oluremi Tinubu and Gbenga Ashafa,  representatives of the Army, Navy, Airforce, DSS, Immigration and NDLEA; governorship candidates, including All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) Akinwunmi Ambode and People Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Jimi Agbaje.

In his welcome address, Aderanti reminded participants that the choice to make or mar the elections rest with them.

“This time call for statesmanship from the politicians who I must state should rise above sentiments of any leaning and properly educate your supporters to play by the rule and shun violence, thuggery and other nuisance that are beginning to rear their ugly head.

“On our side,  we are prepared and ready to play our part to the best of our ability.

“Let me once again assure you all of our neutrality and non partisanship in this venture that I think is beyond just a general election but a critical test of our unity as a nation.”

High point of the event was the signing of peace pact by the candidates and their parties.

In spite of the subtle plot to postpone next month’s general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is forging ahead with its preparations.

The commission has released the breakdown of 119, 973 polling units where the elections will hold nationwide.

All Polling Units (PUs) in private compounds, mosques and churches have been relocated – in line with international best practices.

Besides, INEC has blocked the cloning of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by desperate politicians through the deployment of Smart Card Readers.

With the distribution of 145,000 Smart Card Readers, no one can use stolen or purchased PVCs.

There have been calls in some circles for the postponement of theelections, but INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega has told the United States, the European Union (EU) and international organisations that the election will hold as scheduled on February 14 and 28.

Jega has also met with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) where it was decided that the polls must go on as scheduled.

The INEC boss has got support from many quarters to hold the elections.

A one-time president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi said yesterday in Ilorin that the call for polls shift is “suspicious” and “mischievous”.

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) also said yesterday that calling for a postponement was unacceptable because it could lead to civil unrest.

The same position was expressed by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) made up of 2 political parties.

To them a shift will send a wrong signal and throw the country into chaos and anarchy.

A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “From the reports delivered by all departments, units and RECs, there is no reason we will not go ahead with the elections as from February 14.

“We are going ahead with preparations for the polls irrespective of issues being raised by some people. The INEC chairman has refrained from making comments to avoid the electoral body being accused of bias.”

It was gathered that at the operational meeting and a session with political parties on Tuesday, INEC released the breakdown of 119, 973 Polling Units (PUs) where the elections will hold nationwide.

The commission has also given a list of how the 145,000 smart cards were deployed in all the polling units to the parties.

The breakdown of the 119,973 polling units in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT)  is as follows: Abia (2,675); Adamawa(2,608); Akwa Ibom(2,980); Anambra(4,608); Bauchi(4,074); Bayelsa(1,804); Benue(3,688); Borno(3,933); Cross River(2,283); Delta(3,624);  Ebonyi(1,785); Edo(2,627); and Ekiti(2, 195).

Others are Enugu(2,958); FCT(562); Gombe(2,218); Imo(3,523); Jigawa(3,527); Kaduna(5,101); Kano(8,074); Katsina(4,901); Kebbi(2,398); Kogi(2,548); and Kwara (1,872).

The  PUs in the remaining states are: Lagos(8,462); Nasarawa(1,495); Niger(3,185); Ogun(3,213); Ondo(3,009); Osun(3,010); Oyo(4,783); Plateau(2, 631); Rivers(4,442); Sokoto(3, 035); Taraba(1,912); Yobe(1,714); and Zamfara(2,516).

A National Commissioner said: “We have developed a general framework for Polling Units, in line with international standards. This is why we have relocated all PUs from churches, mosques, private compounds and even verandah of schools.

“The electoral benchmark is that all PUs should be inside enclosures to be able to monitor the voting process and ensure effective control of the situation.”

 INEC has shared 145,000 Smart Reader Cards (SRCs) to all the RECs in the 36 states and FCT to check rigging or manipulation during the elections with cloned/ stolen/ purchased PVCs.

The National Commissioner added: “These Smart Reader Cards will authenticate the holder of any PVC, confirm his or her finger print and detect fake or cloned PVC.

“The SRCs help to count and record every accreditation done at the PUs. So, the question of rigging will not be there at all. Those busy cloning or buying cards will meet their waterloo at the Polling Units.

“The introduction of SRCs explains why we cannot allow those with temporary voter cards to vote in February. We have 119, 973 polling units but we have deployed 145,000 SRCs to all the states and the FCT.”