Says Won’t Allow PVC Collection By Proxy
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that election would hold in the country next year, as scheduled, despite attacks on its facilities by hoodlums.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said during a meeting with the Africa Union Special Pre-Electoral Political Mission, led by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, that the election materials that got damaged during some of the attacks would be replaced by the commission.
There have been attacks on INEC offices across the country, the latest being the attack on its office in Ebonyi State last Sunday, November 27.
However, Mahmood said: “So far, we can recover from all the losses, but it’s a source of concern. This shouldn’t be allowed to continue.”
He added that security agencies would be engaged to protect INEC facilities ahead of the general polls on February 25 and March 12 next year.
The INEC boss stated that if there is going to be a re-run election, INEC would announce it in due course.
Meanwhile, the electoral body has insisted that it would not allow collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by proxy.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kebbi State, Alhaji Ahmad Bello-Mahmud, who made the assertion in an interview in Birnin Kebbi on Monday, November 28, was reacting to the 67,317 PVCs in its offices awaiting collection by their owners, restated that the commission would only hand over the cards to their rightful owners.
Bello-Mahmud said the hitherto practice of PVCs being given to party agents, district and village heads for onward distribution to their owners in the various wards, villages and polling units was no longer tenable, insisting: “For you to get your PVC, you have to personally come forward and collect it yourself. We have emphasised this in a lot of fora, workshops among others.
“Distribution of voter cards by proxy is no longer acceptable. What we have now is personal collection. Come and collect your own card, don’t send anybody.”
On multiple registrations, he explained that the kind of machines available now is capable of detecting double registration, stressing that the new technology had taken care of people intending multiple registration.
He advised the electorate not to sell or lend out their PVCs to anybody, no matter the promises of incentives, saying their votes remain their right towards exercising their civic responsibilities.
The REC urged political stakeholders to keep encouraging the electorate to collect their PVCs and keep them properly to elect candidates of their choice for the good of their respective constituencies and the country at large.
