Barely five weeks to the start of this year’s general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said about eight million would-be voters are yet to pick up their permanent voter card (PVC). One of INEC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Mohammed Lecky, disclosed this during an interview with THISDAY on Saturday while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to the prevention of electoral fraud.


Lecky also said the commission had no intention of re-introducing the controversial incidence forms in the February and March elections.

He said, “In fact, the use of the incidence form has been completely abrogated. It is no longer part of INEC’s regulations and guidelines. So, that is the position. There is no re-introduction of the incidence form, contrary to what the media had reported recently.

“First and foremost, INEC is a very responsive agency and once people raised the objection and following the review of the 2015 general election, a number of observers, like the CSOs, NGOs and international organisations, had made recommendations on how to improve and we have to respond to them. One of the things they recommended is that we have to do away with the incidence form because it could be susceptible to all manner of abuses and we don’t want to give chance to those abuses to either occur or give a perception to their occurrence.”

Regarding the number of PVCs yet to be collected, the INEC national commissioner said, “There is no state in the country where we have achieved 100 per cent distribution of PVC. The distribution of PVC is the biggest headache for us. We need the media to help us encourage the people to come and collect their PVCs. People are not coming forward to pick their PVCs. We have about eight million PVCs yet to be collected by Nigerians.”

The INEC commissioner stated further that in the absence of the incidence form, the electoral body had put measures in place to ensure rigorous authentication of the would-be voter in case the card reader failed to work.

He noted, “It is possible to have a situation whereby the card reader is malfunctioning and we have to resort to manual accreditation. A would-be presenter who presents himself to cast a vote but his fingerprint cannot be authenticated. In that case, his PVC will be sufficient – as it is verified that the card is issued by INEC and that it belongs to the would-be voter.”

Continuing, Lecky said, “We have a voter register at the point of voting in which we verify the name of the would-be voter, his photo and other details. So, if we don’t use incidence form you are removing a cloud of doubt. So we’re responding to that by removing the form.

“At the same time, we are also taking details of voters’ personal information. We have redesigned the register itself. The voter register now has provisions for us to take your details.

“We will take your name, again, we will take your phone number. If we are asking for those details the person may not go forward because he knows we can follow through to know exactly who he is and whether he has come to impersonate or something like that. Such a measure is a deterrent for any perpetration of electoral fraud.”

Lecky, however, expressed concern about the country’s media becoming a conveyor of fake news. He said, “We are very concerned when we saw that the media, particularly newspapers, carried a news that is not true on the front page – something that could have been easily verified on our website. We have been doing our best to ensure fake news does not impact on the forthcoming elections. We have been embarking on various voter education campaigns and advertisements and engagement with the media; as well using various social media platforms to counteract fake news.

“We are also using youth ambassadors to ensure the right information is passed to the public. We are also making ourselves available to be engaged – if you want to interview the chairman or any of the commissioners. We are also open to suggestions from the media on how to carry out our national responsibility.”

He dispelled a rumour that the electoral body would not post election results at each polling unit.

“This is not true. In our new regulation, that particular requirement is mandatory – it’s not optional. It’s mandatory that results must be posted at every polling unit. We are urging the media to remain nonpartisan in the coming elections. They should be circumspect in their reportage. INEC is ready to work with the media to ensure the elections are credible and fair,” Lecky added.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/2019-8-million-people-have-not.html

The Nnamdi Kanu effect

I don't know why am not feeling safe anytime I hear the word INEC .

And politicians are ready to buy them at any amount.

Too bad

When people don't trust the electoral umpire to be fair, what do you expect?...You are appointing the relation of a candidate and you still come out to defend the posting and continue breeding nepotism.

Please this is a clarion call to those who are yet to do so to make out time to collect theirs

It's our weapon to make b2d a goal and Get Nigeria Working Again

I never bothered to register because I knew I would be working as an observer on the election day. Why is there no provision for participants of the electoral process on that day to vote?

its obvious 8 million people are not bothered about Mr. UK and Mr. USA election











need a cheap brand new laptop? check my signature

majority are from one section of the country ...and probably the rest don cast go heaven or

Come election day, I will be in my house drinking beers and watching series on my lappy. Wetin concern me with PVC?

This is what we call voters fatigue. We vote all the time but nothing changes

People without PVC's spewing rubbish online every time.

Can't they do home delivery because change of location is what led to uncollected pvc.
Work with nipost to do so through bank bvn data.
Many register for theirs while in higher institution and hv graduated now

You cannot register non-Nigerians particularly those close to the Northern states and expect all of them to come for their voter's card.

Those are some of the ones you see online beating their chest!

Wait, did the online chest beaters and noise makers even register in the first place?!

Well, that is to Sai Baba's advantage.
Let's go there....

Obinnau:
I never bothered to register because I knew I would be working as an observer on the election day. Why is there no provision for participants of the electoral process on that day to vote?

We are not there yet

Most Nairalanders are in this group. The farmers who are ready to vote in their choice had collected theirs the very week it was made available.

Y will they collect there p.v.c's wen u r bent on rigging the 2019 elections

post=74492951:
Those are some of the ones you see online beating their chest!

Wait, did the online chest beaters and noise makers even register in the first place?!

Well, that is to Sai Baba's advantage.
Let's go there....

Especially Nairaland forum, me were I even get I know sure say I go vote.

I dash u

Mumu INEC. No be PVC I go to collect after five months of registration, una say e never ready. Iranu

ff

Bintuenyo:
Especially Nairaland forum, me were I even get I know sure say I go vote.

It's a personal choice Bintu.
If you change your mind anytime before tha election next month,
Vote for any candidate of your choice man.
Your vote will definitely count at thr end of the day.
God bless you.
God bless Nigeria.

Just hand over the unclaimed pvcs to Kai baba

true..collected mine last two weeks,and I can see thousands of PVCs not collected..the inec officials were just complaining, and we will be making noise online that we want change... it is not by mouth o!!

ok guys pls where can i get my own pvc for the first time

delgook14:
I was at the collection centre just before christmas and I was told it isn't available yet. Meanwhile, I registered as a far back as early August.
IMO, At least half of the 8million PVCs will not get to their owners by D-day

I register September and I have already collected mine in lagos

INEC will not count your prayer points but your vote. Pls lets get our PVC although who we want no dea win

when they were busy giving only Muslims in parts of Nassarawa /Abuja the other day, no one batted an eye. Now they saw it is very bad for PR, they now started shouting foul... Who cares anyway, if Pastor Osibanjo knew that so much would remain the other day, he wouldn't have wasted so much money doing father Christmas with Tradermoni across states. It's better and obviously more economical to loose some battles and win the war than to loose both simultaneously. INEC should do what it must with the uncollected cards