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Tag: PVCs

  • 2019: Politicians desperate 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.

  • Over 150,000 additional PVCs ready for collection in Ebonyi–REC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) in Ebonyi has taken delivery of 150,892 additional Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)  following the  recent ’ Continuous Voters Registration(CVR).

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Godswill Obioma, announced this  at a meeting with  the chairmen and secretaries of political parties in Ebonyi on Wednesday in Abakaliki.

    He said that the commission received 179,550 PVCs from the previous registration, adding that 69,545 PVCs had been collected by their owners.

    Obioma said that over 110,000 cards were yet to be claimed by their owners from the previous registration exercise.

    “Our office has just received additional 150,892 PVCs and the cards are ready for collection.

    “I therefore call on you all, as stakeholders, to double your efforts in the sensitisation of registered voters to come forth and collect their PVCs.

    “Collection of PVCs will not be by proxy, their owners must come forth and collect their PVCs.

    “This will guarantee earnest expectations for Ebonyi to witness a larger voter turnout in the forthcoming 2019 general elections,” Obioma said.

    He said that the commission’s contiguous polling units within each registration areas were now  PVC collection points as they were closer to the people.

    The resident commissioner also urged political parties and candidates to engage in issue-based and violence-free electioneering towards the 2019 general elections.

    Obioma said that it was imperative for candidates in the election and their political parties to conduct themselves well.

    He reiterated  INEC’s commitment to conduct transparent, credible, free and fair elections in Ebonyi, while urging politicians in the state to cooperate with the commission to achieve its objectives.

    Obioma said that INEC would monitor all the campaigns of the various political parties as well as track their finances.

    “It is our duty to advise all active players engaged or to be engaged in this segment of electionerring process to carry on with issue based political campaigns.

    Read Also: Oyo: 800,000 PVCs yet to be collected – INEC

    “Contestants and indeed political parties should avoid campaign of calumny, hate and divisiveness.

    “All manners of hate speeches should be avoided as these will only lead to violence and undue heating up of the polity,” he said.

    Obioma reminded the party leaders of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended) that prescribed acceptable code of conduct for political parties and their candidates during  campaigns.

    “We hereby draw your attention to sections 94 and 102 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and Article 3 of political parties’ code of conduct.

    “Political parties, their candidates, officials and agents are expected to conduct their political campaigns within the ambit of the law.

    “They are to work towards ensuring an environment conducive for successful, peaceful, free and fair election campaigns”.

    He said the commission, in accordance with the extant electoral laws,. had stipulated campaign spending limits for the various elective  positions and corresponding penalties for violation.

    According to him, campaign spending limit for presidential election is N1 billion, while penalty for violation is N1 million or 12-month imprisonment or both.

    Obioma said that governorship  campaign spending limit was N200 million with penalty of N600,000 or six-month imprisonment or both, while Senatorial and house of representatives spending limits were N40 million and N20 million respectively.

    He said that defaulters would pay N600,000 or risk six-month jail term or both.

    The resident commissioner said that campaign funding for candidates vying for state house of assembly was pegged at N10 million with N300,000 penalty or three months’ imprisonment or both.

    “Political parties are expected to comply with provisions of the law in this regard by reporting their financial transactions to the commission,” he said.

    Obioma urged the party leaders to sensitise the electorate on dangers  inherent in vote selling and vote buying, while appealing to them to mobilise voters  to collect their PVCs.

    NAN

  • INEC begins display of voters’ register in Borno

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that it had commenced display of voters’ register in the 27 Local Government Areas of Borno.

    The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, told the News Agency of Nigerian Maiduguri that the commission had also embarked on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    Ibrahim disclosed that the exercise was conducted simultaneously at the councils, wards and Polling Units (PUs) in the area.

    He said the exercise was also conducted at Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) for the registered voters in Abadam, Guzamala and Marte Local Government Councils, due to security challenges.

    Ibrahim noted that the voters’ register display exercise was designed for claims, objections and weed out under-age voters, to enable the commission make possible corrections.

    Read Also: ASUU Strike paralyses Academic activities in UNIBEN

    According to him, the commission has so far registered more than 2.3 million eligible voters in the state.

    Ibrahim explained that more than 1.8 million voters registered during the 2015 elections, while more than 500,000 voters were captured in the
    continuous voter registration from April 2017 to date.

    He stated that the commission has distributed more than 90,000 of the 179,000 PVCs supplied to the state in May 2018.

    “Over 100,000 PVCs are yet to be collected; we are also expecting delivery of additional 100,000 cards for onward distribution to the electorate in the state,” he said.

  • Uncollected PVCs in safe custody, INEC assures

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that all uncollected Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) have been kept safely in its strong room.
    The INEC dismissed allegations by some politicians that the commission had released uncollected PVCs to certain political parties and also compromised the card readers.
    The commission, therefore, warned all political parties participating in today’s Osun State governorship election to desist from making unfounded statement about 435,015 uncollected PVCs.
    The State Resident Electoral Commission of INEC, Olusegun Agbaje, at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital,  assured that the smart card readers have been prepared for optimal performance, adding that 996 have been reserved to serve as backups.
    He said: “Out of 1,246,915 registered voters, a total of 435,015 PVCs, that is 25.86 percent, are yet to be collected by their owners and are being kept in the INEC strong room at the state office here in Osogbo.
    “The commission has no plan whatsoever to give the uncollected PVCs to any political party. The Commission’s Smart Card Readers are not also designed to favour any political party. I therefore strongly advice all stakeholders in the Osun state governorship election, especially the political parties’ leaders and contestants, to desist from making unguarded utterances and unfounded allegations.
    “It should be noted that the commission has perfected plans with the security agencies to decisively deal with anyone engaging in any illicit act, particularly the notorious act of ‘see and buy’ as it is called in the local parlance during the election.”
    However, the REC appealed to newsmen to cooperate with the commission to ensure that the final result is announced by the INEC before circulating it to the public.
    Agbaje also gave out phone numbers for complaints of any kind by the electorate, the media and the general public in  the election.
    According to Agbaje, the situation room of the commission will be receiving complaints through 08168963080, 07057789656and 07086575910.
    The INEC boss, who assured people of the state of the commission’s readiness to conduct free, fair and credible election that will be acceptable to the people, announced that sensitive materials for the poll have been delivered to the commission and moved from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to all the 30 local government areas of the state.
    He stated that accreditation and voting will go on simultaneously between 8:00am and 2:00 pm, saying “only those on queue at 2pm will be allowed to vote.

  • Voter Registration: Edo declares Friday work-free day

    The Edo State Government has declared Friday, August 31, a work-free day to avail civil and public servants the opportunity to process, regularise or obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).

    A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. on Wednesday, said that “Government workers are urged to partake in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), so they can perform their civic duty.”

    Ogie added that “With this notice, all government establishments except those that render essential service are expected to be closed and the workers are encouraged to take advantage of the work-free day to visit centers for the ongoing CVR to process or obtain their PVCs. This will make them eligible to participate in the forthcoming 2019 elections.”

    According to the state government, “the CVR exercise had been extended by INEC for two weeks which will terminate on Friday, August 31, underscoring the decision of government to declare a public holiday to ensure that government workers are able to obtain their PVCs.”

    The SSG explained that “the state government is keen on ensuring that everyone in the state is provided ample opportunity to participate in the political process, hence all government workers are encouraged to treat this message with all seriousness.”

  • Buhari fully committed to use of PVCs, card readers, says Presidency

    The Presidency yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari is fully committed to the use of Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) and card readers for the 2019 general elections.

    A statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu reads: “Our attention has been drawn to incorrect and misleading reporting in newspapers regarding the status of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

    “The Presidency would like to set out the true status of the Bill. The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was sent by the National Assembly to the Presidency at the end of June 2018, for assent.

    “Following extensive consideration, the Presidency engaged with the National Assembly to raise concerns regarding errors and inconsistencies found in the submitted version. Following this, the National Assembly, on July 24, 2018, met to review and correct the Bill.

    “The Bill was given, on July 24, 2018, a “clause by clause consideration” by the Senate. The Votes and Proceedings from the Senate on July 24, 2018, attest to this.

    “The Senate resolved to rescind its decision on a number of clauses included in the version they had earlier sent for consideration by the President, and to reconsider these clauses.

    “According to the Senate Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday July 24, 2018: “The Senate: … notes that in the course of final cleaning of the Bill as passed, some provisions were found to negate the essence of the amendment; [and] Resolves to: Rescind its decision on Clauses 3,5,8,11(2), 13(b), 14 (4), 15(3), 18,21,23,24,28,32 and 38 of the Bill as passed, and recommit same to Committee of the whole for reconsideration and passage.”

    According to him, the re-considered Bill was passed by the Senate on July 24, 2018 the same day that plenary was adjourned to September 25, 2018.

    He said that the revised Version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018, with corrections by the National Assembly, and dated the 2nd of August, 2018, was received by the Presidency on the 3rd of August, 2018.

    The President, he said, has 30 days from the date of receipt, to assent to or decline the Bill.

    The Bill, according to him, is therefore still under consideration by the Presidency.

    He added “The allegations that the President declined assent to the Bill because of objections to the use of card readers are wild and baseless.  President Buhari did not and has never raised any objections to the use of Card Readers for elections in Nigeria. On the contrary he has always been a passionate advocate for the use of PVCs and Card Readers in elections in Nigeria, mindful of the role that Card Readers and PVCs played in the election that brought him into office. And he has repeatedly made this clear, and praised these technologies.

    Quoting the President while speaking at the State House on May 28, 2018, while hosting the Judiciary to the customary breaking of the Ramadan Fast, he said: “I tried running for President] three times, and ended up in court three times. The fourth time, I eventually made it, thanks to God and thanks to technology. These Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and Card Readers, they’re fantastic.

    “Those who went to their polling booths in their constituencies, and put in their votes, their votes counted. Before, votes were disregarded, [results] were just written, and there was nothing you could do before the [Judiciary] to prove your case. But now with technology, it has been made easy.

    “That is why I keep on appealing to the Governors, to please do voter education. Tell the people that their Voters Card is their national card, so to speak. Let them vote anybody they want across ethnicity and religion. I’m begging the Governors to please continue to do voter education, so that people will take their Permanent Voters Cards seriously, and make sure they don’t lose them.”

    None of these clauses reviewed and revised by the National Assembly in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2018, he said, related to the issue of electronic voting or to the use of Card Readers.

    “The President also did not raise any objections whatsoever to the use of Card Readers, contrary to the stories being maliciously peddled by sections of the media and on the Internet.” he stated

  • ‘Get your PVCs, return Ambode as governor’

    The Special Adviser on Civic Engagement to Lagos State Governor, Benjamin Olabinjo has urged Lagosians to participate in the on-going Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration exercise, noting that it is their only power to re-elect Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2019.

    Olabinjo gave the advice when he received Team ‘A’ Plus Volunteers’ Area Coordinators.

    He said: ”I want to thank you for this great initiative to sensitise our people on the need to register and collect their PVCs before the registration window closes on August 27, because your PVC is your power , strength and voice.”

    The team’s leader, Mrs Modupe Makewu said her team would ensure adequate mobilisation and awareness for the exercise, saying: ”for us to demonstrate our support for Governor Ambode, we are pleading with our people to go and pick their PVCs.”

  • INEC decries low rate of PVCs’ collection in Ebonyi

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says no fewer than 71,462 registered voters in Ebonyi are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in spite of the sustained enlightenment campaigns in the state.

    Prof. Godswill Obioma, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abakaliki at the INEC’s 2018 second quarterly meeting with the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Civil Society Organisations.

    He noted that of the 77,487 PVCs released by the commission’s national headquarters of the 2017 voter registration, only 6,025 of the registered voters had collected their PVCs.

    Obioma, however, added that only 400 registered voters had collected their PVCs, out of the total 47,117 unclaimed PVCs from the pre-2017 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

    The commissioner, who described the development as worrisome, hoped that the meeting would come up with strategies to speed up distribution and collection of PVCs before the 2019 general elections.

    He urged all registered voters in the state yet to collect their PVCs to quickly do so and pledged the commission’s readiness to partner IPAC and CSOs to ensure that all unclaimed PVCs were collected.

    He said: “The rate of PVCs collection in the state from 2011, 2014 and 2016 registration has been very low.

    “Out of the 47,117 unclaimed voter cards before 2017, only 400 PVCs have been collected.

    “INEC national headquarters recently released a total of 77,487 from the 2017 and 2018 registrations, and out of this figure, only 6,025 PVCs have been so far collected,” he said.

    Obioma said the commission had registered no fewer than 315,175 voters between 2017 and first phase of the second quarter of 2018.

    Obioma explained that the ongoing CVR would be temporarily suspended in the state on Aug.17, in line with the directive from the national headquarters.

    He said that the rotation of the registration machines in wards ended on July, 31.

    He, however, added that voter registration would continue in all INEC local government area offices across the 13 local government areas and six centres earlier approved by INEC.

    The commissioner said that collection of PVCs would continue until one week to the general elections.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 26 registered political parties attended the stakeholders second quarterly meeting.(NAN).

  • 2019: Clerics urge improvement on PVC distribution-voter education

    Clerics have called on the Independence Electoral Commission, ( INEC ) to boost effort in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, ( PVCs ) and evolve measures to curb vote-buying.

    The clerics, who made the call in separate interviews with the News men in Lagos on Monday, also urged the commission to ensure that results of elections were release on time.

    Rev.Fr. Innocent Ebuka, a Catholic priest of the Missionary Society of St. Paul, Lagos, said INEC needed to ensure all that registered voters get their PVCs ahead of the general elections in 2019.

    “The objective of the PVC is that every registered voter gets his or her card, on time, so as to allow him or her exercise his or her franchise during elections.

    “Already, there are complaints over the collection of the cards, as many of the registered voters are unable to get their PVCs.

    “Nigerians who registered to vote but cannot get their PVCs will not lend credibility to the elections,’’ Ebuka said.

    He said that incident where voters could not locate their particulars on the Voters’ Register on election days might cast doubt about the legitimacy of the elections in the minds of such voters.

    On his part, Pastor John Adebayo of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Harmony Parish, Itaoluwo, Lagos also urged INEC to review its result collation and the system of announcing election results.

    Read Also: Keep faith with Buhari, clerics tells Nigerians

    “By now, I expect INEC to be upgrading its ICT usage to improve on transmission of votes cast from distance voting stations to the main collation centre.
    “Processes that will make votes cast to be effectively collated and the results speedily announced should be on the front burner of INEC reform agenda.

    “A situation whereby announced results will not tally with number of registered voters or number of voided votes and other criteria before announcing final results may mar the legitimacy of the polls.

    “INEC needs to see that mistakes of the past in the area of announcing results don’t reoccur during the 2019 general elections,’’ he said.

    He also called on the electoral body to begin earnest to engage credible personnel and seasoned academics as electoral officers for the 2019 elections.

    Contributing, Sheik Sulaimon Habila, the Chief Imam, Jamahliy Muslim Society, Ikorodu Branch, called for more voter education that would discourage electorate from accepting any form of inducement before they elect their leaders.

    He also advised INEC to let party agents know the implication of inducing voters during voting to avert annulment of results according to the electoral law.

    “Campaign of any sort should not be allowed on voting day because it is against the law.

    “Any party that indulges in such should have its results at such polling station voided,’’ he said.

     

  • ‘Ibadan North local govt has highest unclaimed PVCs’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said Ibadan North Local Government Area has the highest number of unclaimed Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) in Oyo State.

    The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mutiu Agboke, spoke during a sensitisation programme the commission held for the state’s lawmakers.

    Agboke said of the 227,433 registered voters in the local government area, 73,602 voters’   cards remained unclaimed.

    The REC noted that the sensitisation programme became imperative to encourage the lawmakers to sensitise their constituencies on the need to claim their PVCs.

    He said PVC remained the only tool for voting credible candidates in the 2019 elections.

    Agboke said: “Henceforth in Nigeria, like the forthcoming 2019 elections, PVCs will be very powerful. It is so powerful that if not well handled, the holder will be messed up on Election Day.

    “There are so many components in the card that one cannot afford to toy with. It has an antenna and other components. One cannot afford to put it in one’s back pocket.

    “It is the civic responsibility of every Nigerian of voting age to have it. It is an instrument to tongue-lash any politician and make the politician do the needful.

    “If you don’t have it or if you have it and sell it, or you collect money to exercise your franchise, you have ridiculed your integrity. You have also ridiculed the process, ridiculed the power of PVC and we are against it.

    “INEC is saying ‘no PVC, no voting’. Our Houses of Assembly are powerful stakeholders.”

    House of Assembly Speaker Olagunju Ojo hailed the commission for the success recorded at the Ekiti governorship election.

    He said all eyes were on the state and uncertainty had filled the air.

    “But thanks to the adequate preparation and proactive strategies put in place for the election proper by INEC, all went well and the candidate most preferred by the people emerged,” Ojo said.

    The Speaker assured the commission of the Assembly’s cooperation toward the successful conduct of elections.