ABUJA – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will use Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the Ekiti and Osun States governorship elections.
This is contained in statement signed Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega.
The statement, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said the commission would not deploy card readers for the elections.
It said that card readers would be used along with PVCs for the 2015 general elections.
Kayode said the clarification became necessary to correct reports in some sections of the media on May 1, that card readers would be deployed for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.
He said that the reports misrepresented the statement made by Dr Ishmael Igbani acting Chairman of INEC that card readers would be deployed for the governorship elections.
“What the acting chairman said was that PVCs, and not Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) that were issued in 2011 and during the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the two states, would be used for the governorship elections.
“Card readers will be deployed in 2015.
“This is in line with the Commission’s programme to incrementally fortify the electoral process against age-long susceptibility to abuses.’’
The statement said that PVCs were distributed simultaneously in the two states from March 7 March 9, while CVR was conducted in the states from March 12 March 17 in preparatory for the governorship elections.
“The use of PVCs for Ekiti and Osun governorship elections will ensure that all duly registered persons, whose names are on the biometrics register exercise their franchise in the elections.
“ The CVR was an opportunity for eligible persons, who were previously not on the biometrics register to get their data captured, and their PVCs will shortly be produced,’’ it said.
The statement urged registered voters in the two states, who are yet to collect their PVC to do so at the respective local government office of the Commission.
It said that Temporary Voter Cards would not be used for the elections. (NAN)
