2023 Elections: INEC Opens Up on PVCs Found in Anambra 'Forest'
- Nigeria's electoral commission, INEC, has reacted to the news of PVCs found in a forest in Anambra
- A staff of INEC who spoke with Legit.ng on conditions of anonymity said such PVCs were not useful
- The official disclosed that the cards were defaced, obsolete, and could be among those printed many years ago
Nnewi, Anambra - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) reportedly found in a forest in Akamili -Umudim, Nnewi North local government area of Anambra state were already defaced, obsolete, and no more useful for the purpose of the 2023 general elections.
The commission said the PVCs might be among those printed many years ago, which were not collected by their owners, and which were no longer useful for any election in Nigeria.
Source: Original
How PVCs were found in a forest in Anambra
Legit..ng's regional reporter in Anambra, Mokwugwo Solomon, noted that mainstream and online media platforms went agog on Wednesday, February 22, with the news that over one million voters cards in a bag were found in a forest by an unknown hunter, and was taken to a radio station in the area, Authority FM.
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One such report had it that the hunter, whose name was not stated, found a bag containing the PVCs in a forest in the Akamili area of Nnewi.
It went further to narrate that the manager of the radio station, Charles Ede, confirmed that one of the staff members of the radio station known as Ikenna, received the hunter when he came.
A video of the PVCs, which was made on the premises of the radio house, and which has been trending online, showed that most of them belonged to the people of Nnewi and its environs.
Another report indicates that the bag of PVCs was later taken to the palace of Obi of Umudim - Nnewi.
Such PVCs are no longer useful
Meanwhile, when Legit.ng visited the Nnewi North office of INEC, no one was not on seat to confirm the report. But a staff of INEC, who did not disclose her name because she was not authorized to speak for the commission, said that any of such PVCs which might find their way into the bush must be defaced and obsolete.
She said:
"Personally, I am not aware of discovery of such PVCs in the forest; but because of my long service with the commission, I believe that voters cards that remain in INEC office, which are defaced, or ones that are no more useful for future elections could be disposed of.
"Many registered voters left their PVCs in INEC offices for as much as ten to twenty years. Most of such people are no longer alive. Most of the PVCs are no longer useful for future elections. Most of them are already defaced. So, such cards, I believe, cannot be allowed to take spaces in INEC offices, because, they are no longer useful. I am sure, that is what happened with the issue we're discussing now."
When Legit.ng visited the palace of Obi of Umudim - Nnewi, the traditional ruler was not around, but a guard found in the palace confirmed that a bag of PVCs was brought to the palace.
When Legit.ng visited Authority FM radio station for further clarification, a female staff of the station, who does not want her name mentioned, confirmed that a bag of PVCs was brought to the station. She added that after breaking the news on the radio station, they later discovered the cards were old and defaced.
The staff stated:
"A man brought a bag of PVCs to this FM station. When we received it, we broke the news. But before we took it to the palace of the traditional ruler, we took closer look at them, and discovered that they were what one could call expired PVCs, because, they are defaced and very old.
"This information is on our Facebook page now, because, we want people to understand the truth."
Fresh details emerge over PVC collection in Lagos
INEC has debunked allegations made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that some of its members are conspiring with the All Progressives Congress over the distribution of PVCs in the state.
Debunking the allegation, INEC's resident electoral commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, in a statement issued on Tuesday, January 17, said there was no such development at the commission.
“It is pertinent to clarify and correct the frivolous accusation by PDP that some INEC staff are colluding with members of the ruling party in the state to deny some groups of people access to collect their PVCs."
Source: Legit.ng
