14/12/2022
2023: You’ll be disappointed, INEC forewarns PVC-buying politicians
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, declared affirmatively that disappointment awaits politicians “still going about purchasing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)” for use on election day.
The Commission also said supporters of competing presidential candidates will help their respective aspirants better if they spend the next two months before the polls rigorously convincing and mobilising registered voters to vote for their preferred candidates than “smearing the reputation of INEC with baseless conspiracy theories.” The Commission vowed: “It will not work.”
In a chat with The Guardian, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, maintained that the Commission is not a political party and does not have a preferred candidate.
According to him, the Commission has been preparing for the 2023 polls, since conclusion of the 2019 general elections, perfecting existing tools and introducing other innovations.
He said: “These innovations are designed to ensure the integrity of the process and make it impossible for any politician or INEC staff to compromise an election in favour of any candidate.
“Therefore, the insinuation that some politicians are buying PVCs to rig the 2023 general election is baseless because INEC has moved very far away from the period when the Incident Form could be used for that purpose on election day.”
The Guardian had asked INEC to respond to a trending post, alleging that moves to buy votes could eventually “reflect on INEC’s portal…in collaboration with INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.”
Part of the post reads: “Yesterday, I was driving past Ahiazu Council office and I saw many people there. I asked and was told they wanted to fill forms and submit for empowerment. I asked how and was shown a form people were filling.
“Could you believe that in the form, they asked for PVC numbers, National Identification Numbers, Bank Verification Numbers and personal information, like bank account numbers and other personal data.
“Afterwards, they took photo shots of each participant and keyed it against their information. I was told that this is going on in all the local councils in the 36 states of the federation, and they are using empowerment as a cover for this broad day robbery.
“Only God knows how they do it with people’s PVC and it will eventually reflect on INEC’s portal on election day
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