INEC charges political parties and politicians on collecting PVCs.
Rev Monday Udoh Tom, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Delta State, has stated that the 2023 general elections will not be held as usual and has therefore called on politicians and political parties to mobilize their supporters to collect their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs), as this is the only criterion for voting during the election.
He stated that the assumption that anything could be manipulated to win the election was no longer conceivable because the commission has closed every loose link, stating that only PVCs gathered will be counted for voters on Election Day.
The Delta REC, who condemned the lackadaisical attitude of political party leaders to INEC-called stakeholder meetings, stated that politicians and political parties benefit from PVCs, saying that without PVC collection, huge rallies and campaigns would fail to produce the desired results.
Only journalists, a Reverend Father, and a few representatives of civil society organizations attended the INEC stakeholders meeting on Tuesday in Delta State, where INEC officials from the state’s 25 local government areas were present.
Revd. Udoh, who stated that INEC had done all possible to mobilize Deltans to collect PVCs, expressed displeasure with the response from both political parties and Deltans, claiming that although INEC is doing a thankless job, the people and politicians are not responding to their appeals.
He stated that political parties are supposed to be at the forefront of PVC collection, but they do not show up for meetings and do not encourage their constituents to collect their PVCs.
He added that INEC personnel are working hard to ensure that the cards are collected, but the reaction from political parties and the general public has been dismal.
He also said that PVC collection at INEC local government offices would begin from December 12 to January 6, while PVC collection at ward levels would begin from January 6 to 15, 2023, before returning to the local government level from 15 to 22 January 2023.
