The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations that its officials are involved in selling Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Edo State ahead of the 21 September Governorship Election.
A civic group, Transparency for Electoral Systems Advocacy (TESA), in a petition dated 23 August 2024, claimed that uncollected PVCs were being sold to politicians in the state.
In response, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, characterized the allegations as unfounded and challenged TESA to provide tangible evidence to support their claims.
“The allegation by Transparency for Electoral Systems Advocacy (TESA) accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of selling uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to politicians in Edo State is untrue,” Oyekanmi said. “The Commission does not sell but issues PVCs free of charge to only registered voters.”
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Oyekanmi emphasized that the process is both transparent and strictly regulated. He also pointed out that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has made it nearly impossible for anyone to use another person’s PVC to vote.
“It is a well-known fact, and we want to assure TESA that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), it has become practically impossible for any voter to use another person’s PVC to vote,” he stated. “Any uncollected PVC cannot be used by anyone to vote during the Edo State Governorship Election. Politicians know this. Any person who attempts to do so will be arrested and handed over to law enforcement agents on Election Day. It is also an electoral offence for an individual to have another voter’s PVC.”
The PVC collection process in Edo State began on 24 August and will continue until 8 September 2024. Oyekanmi noted that the ongoing collection process renders any claims of uncollected PVCs being sold premature and baseless.
INEC called on TESA and other concerned individuals to present any concrete evidence of misconduct by its officials to the Commission for prompt action. “However, we encourage TESA and other individuals with concrete evidence of unethical acts against any of our Electoral Officers to promptly avail the Commission of the evidence for immediate action,” Oyekanmi added.
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