Bought Pvcs Will Be Worthless , INEC Notifies Politicians

Amidst rumours that politicians are purchasing Permanent Voters Cards( PVCs) against the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared that such PVCs will be ineffective during the polls.

The Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner( REC), Dr Queen-Elizabeth Agwu said this on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the state headquarters of the commission, in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The REC said, “Such actions will not be useful during elections “, adding that the commission had developed a standard operating procedure for seamless PVCs collection in the 21 Local Government Areas of the state. She explained that because of insecurity, the commission had relocated PVC collation centres in six LGAs of the state. The affected LGAs, according to the REC, are Ihiala, Nnewi South, Onitsha North, Orumba North, Awka North and Awka South. Expressing concern over uncollected PVCs in the state, Agwu gave details of the uncollected PVCs in the 21 local government areas thus: Ayamelum -1,960, Dunukofia -6,222, Idemili South -4’589, Anaocha -885, Orumba South -6,656, Onitsha South -12,274, Idemili North -16,256, Aguata -12675, Njikoka -7,009, Ogbaru -10,755 and Anambra East -7,717. Others are Nnewi South -1,841, Awka North -1,153, Anambra West -1,387, Orumba North -2,393, Oyi -7,982, Onitsha North -9,990, Ihiala -4,058, Nnewi North -8,700, Ekwusigo -3,350 and Awka South -4,971.

The REC said, ” INEC appreciates the patience and understanding of Ndi Anambra, especially those who registered as voters or applied for transfer/replacement of their cards from January to July 2022.”In making the cards available for collection, the Commission has fixed Monday 12th of December, 2022 to Sunday, 22nd January, 2023 as dates for the collection of PVCs.”Let me state that INEC has deliberated on the prosecution of persons arrested for illegal possession of PVCs and it is the wish of the commission to continue to pursue all violators of the electoral act to ensure prosecution.

“Our correspondent gathered that in some local governments in Anambra, the communities provided logistics for INEC officials to make it easy, yet many people could still not find theirs.

According to the REC, INEC had asked the communities to apply to the commission through their traditional rulers so that INEC could distribute the cards in their palaces. She, however, said the traditional rulers must guarantee the security of the INEC officials in writing before such a request would be granted.