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Tag: PVCs

  • 371,444 PVCs uncollected in Ondo State – INEC

    371,444 PVCs uncollected in Ondo State – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) in Ondo State has said that 371,444 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in the state.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Rufus Akeju, said this in a telephone interview with our reporter in Akure on Friday.

    Akeju, however, said that 44,410 voters were captured during the April, 2017 Continuous Voter Registration in the state.

    He said that 199 people reported that their cards were stolen during the first phase of 2018 revision exercise while 561 people were cases of de-faced PVCs.

    The REC reiterated his readiness to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the state in 2019.

    Read Also: INEC, EFCC partnership will strengthen Nigeria’s democracy

    He urged the residents to pick their PVCs at INEC offices in the 18 local government areas.

    Akeju said the CVR was ongoing and advised residents who just attained the age of 18 to register to enable them to vote in the coming elections.

    “We will do everything possible to ensure that 80 per cent of the uncollected PVCs were collected by their owners.

    Akeju was the immediate past Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner and resumed as Ondo REC on Jan. 25.

     

  • REC: politicians planning to clone PVCs

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State,  Olusegun Agbaje, yesterday raised the alarm over plans to clone Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by some politicians.

    Agbaje said such cards would be detected by the card readers that would be deployed by Independent National  Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He warned that any one caught in the act will be prosecuted.

    The INEC boss said that buying and selling  of PVCs will be regarded as a crime.

    “We hear people are cloning cards to cheat during the election.Cloned cards will not work.

    “The card readers will detect the cloned cards. Protect your cards, don’t sell them, it is a criminal offence. There will be enough card readers, so that if any malfunctions, it will be immediately replaced,” he said.

    The REC debunked claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and  Jimoh Ibrahim that top INEC officials were compromised.

     “INEC has no candidate for the coming election, anybody who wins will win fairly.

    “INEC will not do anything that will reduce the credibility it has built through the years.”

    While disclosing that his office had taken delivery of non-sensitive materials, which had been distributed to all the local governments, Agbaje said no one would be allowed to vote without the PVC, adding that voting without card readers is a nullity.

    The National Commissioner in charge of Publicity and Voters Education,  Solomon Shoyebi, said  about one million six hundred and fifty nine eligible voters are to participate in the election.

  • PDP accuses opposition parties of sowing army uniforms, buying PVCs

    PDP accuses opposition parties of sowing army uniforms, buying PVCs

    The Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Ondo State has raised the alarm over the  illegal Army uniforms allegedly sowed by the opposition party All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of its election rigging plots.

    The PDP said the APC and another opposition party are busy collecting voters card from potential voters, with a promise of an imaginary palliative, ahead of the next month’s election.

    In a statement in Akure by the Publicity Director, Mr Ayo Fadaka, the PDP said it has uncovered the plan to flood the state with thugs in  fake  army uniform to  intimidate voters.

    He said the opposition parties have engaged garment makers contracted to make available Army uniforms of different sizes for use by their thugs to enable them  alter proceedings and manipulate election during and after voting on election day.

    Fadaka alleged that the tailors handling the sewing project are working from two neighbouring states.

    The party official said a formal complaint has been lodged with the police.

    The ruling PDP  has warned  members of the opposition party who have been collecting the PVC’s of potential  voters on the pretext that it will qualify them for food items that would be supplied  as palliative to cushion the effect of the economic crunch.

    Warning the people against the antics of those he described as “political frauds, desperate to steal the people ‘s mandate by any means possible”  Fadaka said the opposition parties are desperate and adopting all kind of fraudulent means to ensure that the people are short changed in the election.

  • INEC orders distribution of unclaimed PVCs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it had directed its states’ offices to begin the distribution of uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to their owners.

    The Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity in the commission, Mr. Nick Dazang, stated this in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He said the directive was part of efforts by the commission to ensure that uncollected PVCs were distributed to the registered voters.

    “It will be recalled that after the 2015 general election, we had over 12 million uncollected PVCs.

    “What the commission did was to direct all states of the federation, including the FCT to fashion out ways of distributing the uncollected PVCs that are with them.
    “It is an ongoing exercise,’’ he said.

    Dazang, however, said there was no deadline attached to the directive, adding that it was left for each state to decide on the modality for the distribution.

  • ‘Collect your PVCs’

    A chairmanship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Mr Peter Ajayi, has implored the electorate to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at the Independent National  Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) approved collection points.

    A statement by his Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Okunade Adekunle, said the distribution of the PVCs was welcome, saying it would allow eligible voters to choose their chairmen and councillors in the forthcoming local government elections.

    He said the electorate should see elections as a means of encouraging grassroots development, adding that it is through their participation in the electoral process that they could engender development at the grassroots.

    Ajayi said: “Collection of PVCs by the people is one of the major ways of participating in grassroots politics to entrench democracy firmly in our nation. I want eligible voters, who have not collected their PVCs to go out and collect them because the forthcoming local government election will determine their fate and future. Grassroots governance is as important as national governance.”

    Urging INEC to put everything in place to make the collection easy, the APC candidate hailed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and members of the House of Assembly for approving the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) members.

    He said it was an indication that Lagos had shown the way forward for other states to follow.

    “With the constitution of LASIEC by our hardworking Governor Ambode and our lawmakers in the state, it shows the government respects federalism and the functionality of local government in a federal system,” Ajayi added.

  • PDP mopping up PVCs with N1,000, alleges APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State alleged yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and government agents were mopping up permanent voter cards (PVCs) in rural communities and giving out N1,000 each.

    The party, in a statement by the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO), said government agents collected the PVC numbers of innocent women lured with cash to attend the governor’s wife’s programmes.

    APC, in the statement signed by the SICO’s Director, Media and Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, said the high number of uncollected PVCs in the hands of PDP ward coordinators was worrisome.

    The party said: “The most worrisome development is the PDP campaign team’s penchant for collecting innocent rural dwellers’ PVCs on the payment of N1,000 or less in some cases.

    “The PDP government’s agents are in the habit of collecting the PVC numbers of innocent women, who are lured to attend the governor’s wife’s programmes with financial inducement.

    “The question is, what do they want to do with other people’s PVCs or their PVC numbers? The other issue is the amount of uncollected PVCs from the voter registration in the hands of PDP ward coordinators.

    “The information we have is that most of these cards belong to ghost voters, arranged by the PDP ward leaders, having been sponsored by the government during the voter register update recently.”

    APC recalled that Governor Seriake Dickson, at a debate organised for the governorship candidates, spoke about his government’s zero tolerance for crimes, noting that his administration would not harbour criminals in the Government House.

    It said: “However, on the contrary, we have it on good authority that not only are wanted persons accommodated in the Government House in Yenagoa, there are alleged criminal activities going on in the guest houses in the Government House.

    “For instance, the alleged masterminds of the killing of an APC leader in Ekeremor Local Government are said to be in one of the guest houses.

    “Information at our disposal showed that the PDP has brought thugs from nearby states, who were driven into Bayelsa in Coaster buses, escorted by a detachment of security men attached to the Government House, Yenagoa.

    “These hoodlums are to wear police and military uniform sewn in the guest houses.”

    The party urged security agencies to probe the allegations, to prevent violence and ensure a free and fair election.

    “We raise these issues to alert security agencies and INEC to the methods PDP intends to use to rig the governorship election.

    “The Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation enjoins the inspector-general of Police to provide the police commissioner with the manpower and materials he needs to apprehend the sponsors of the killing of our leader in Ekeremor and those who have been terrorising our members.”

  • PDP mopping up PVCs with N1,000, alleges APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State alleged yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and government agents were mopping up permanent voter cards (PVCs) in rural communities and giving out N1,000 each.

    The party, in a statement by the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation (SICO), said government agents collected the PVC numbers of innocent women lured with cash to attend the governor’s wife’s programmes.

    APC, in the statement signed by the SICO’s Director, Media and Publicity, Chief Nathan Egba, said the high number of uncollected PVCs in the hands of PDP ward coordinators was worrisome.

    The party said: “The most worrisome development is the PDP campaign team’s penchant for collecting innocent rural dwellers’ PVCs on the payment of N1,000 or less in some cases.

    “The PDP government’s agents are in the habit of collecting the PVC numbers of innocent women, who are lured to attend the governor’s wife’s programmes with financial inducement.

    “The question is, what do they want to do with other people’s PVCs or their PVC numbers? The other issue is the amount of uncollected PVCs from the voter registration in the hands of PDP ward coordinators.

    “The information we have is that most of these cards belong to ghost voters, arranged by the PDP ward leaders, having been sponsored by the government during the voter register update recently.”

    APC recalled that Governor Seriake Dickson, at a debate organised for the governorship candidates, spoke about his government’s zero tolerance for crimes, noting that his administration would not harbour criminals in the Government House.

    It said: “However, on the contrary, we have it on good authority that not only are wanted persons accommodated in the Government House in Yenagoa, there are alleged criminal activities going on in the guest houses in the Government House.

    “For instance, the alleged masterminds of the killing of an APC leader in Ekeremor Local Government are said to be in one of the guest houses.

    “Information at our disposal showed that the PDP has brought thugs from nearby states, who were driven into Bayelsa in Coaster buses, escorted by a detachment of security men attached to the Government House, Yenagoa.

    “These hoodlums are to wear police and military uniform sewn in the guest houses.”

    The party urged security agencies to probe the allegations, to prevent violence and ensure a free and fair election.

    “We raise these issues to alert security agencies and INEC to the methods PDP intends to use to rig the governorship election.

    “The Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation enjoins the inspector-general of Police to provide the police commissioner with the manpower and materials he needs to apprehend the sponsors of the killing of our leader in Ekeremor and those who have been terrorising our members.”

  • Kogi: INEC begins  distribution of PVCs to voters

    Kogi: INEC begins  distribution of PVCs to voters

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to newly registered voters in Kogi.

    Mr. Daniel Kure, Head of Department (HOD) Voter Education, INEC Office, Lokoja, made the announcement on Monday in Lokoja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said that the distribution of PVCs, which commenced on Nov. 14, would continue till Nov. 20, adding that there were over 47, 000 newly registered voters in all the 21 LGAs across the state.

    He called on registered voters to visit INEC offices in their various LGAs to collect their PVCs to enable them participate in the Nov. 21 governorship election in the state.

    Kure also announced that a meeting of all stakeholders in the election would hold on Nov. 17 at Riverton Hotel, Lokoja by 10 am.

    He said that dignitaries expected at the meeting includes; INEC Chairman, Mr Yakub Mahmoud, the lnspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, and the Director General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi

  • Police arrest man with 813 PVCs in Ebonyi

    Police arrest man with 813 PVCs in Ebonyi

    The Special Election Team of the Zone 6 Command of the Nigeria Police has arrested a man with 813 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).  The team was inaugurated by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Tunde Ogunsakin.

     Head of the Special Election Team Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Obere Friday yesterday said the arrest took place on Monday at Izzi community in Ebonyi State. He said the AIG received a call on Easter Sunday about two men in possession of multiple PVCs. The team immediately moved into Izzi community.

    A statement by the command reads: “Upon seeing the police, the suspects and men of the Special Election team pursued them. The suspects made some mazy runs through some convoluted paths of the town but were apprehended when they attempted to jump over a fence. The Police arrested one of the suspects, Madueke Sunday, 31, who hails from Izzi Community of Ebonyi State. Madueke was in possession of a ‘Ghana-must-go’ bag that contained the PVCs. The AIG has ordered for a thorough investigation to be carried out and more arrests are expected to follow.”

    Speaking on the arrest in a telephone chat, AIG Ogunsakin hailed the Special Electoral Team for their determination and commitment. He also berated those who have insisted on crime despite warnings against it. He restated the commitment of the Police to combat every plan against hitch free elections in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Rivers that make up the Zone 6 command. Ogunsakin encouraged the electorate to exercise their franchise without fear of oppression or intimidation from any quarter.

  • NUJ urges Nigerians to obtain PVCs

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Information chapel, Adeola Qudrat Lawal, has urged Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to avoid being disenfranchised.

    She spoke yesterday at the Conference Room, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa-Ikeja at the opening of this year’s Press Week.

    Lawal said: “The essence of the Press Week is to rejuvenate professionalism among members through interactive forum and discourse on issues of practice in our challenging social, political and economic environment.”

    The programme began with a news conference, after which NUJ members went for medical screening.

    Today, there will be a lecture on the theme: “Development Communication: Lagos PATH in perspective”.

    Guest speaker is the Editorial Board Chairman of The Nation, Mr.  Sam Omatseye. To discuss his presentation are Prof. Lai Oso of the School of Communication, Lagos State University (LASU); Dr. Abigail Ogwezi Ndizika, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Mr. Jide Johnson of the NUJ and Mr. Segun Ogundeji.

    The NUJ chair said there would be programmes tomorrow, Thursday, and on Friday there would be a special jumat/ prayer at the Lagos State Secretariat Mosque, Alausa at 1pm, to be followed by a Gala/Award night.

    At the event, a book written on Governor Babatunde Fashola, titled: BRF: TPA and PATH in Perspective, will be presented.