The accusation was made by the civic group, Transparency for Electoral Systems Advocacy, in a petition dated on August 23, 2024, which claimed that uncollected PVCs were being sold to politicians in Edo State.
In response to these claims, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, on Monday, labelled the allegations as baseless and challenged TESA to provide concrete evidence to support their assertions.
“The allegation by the Transparency for Electoral Systems Advocacy, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC of selling uncollected Permanent Voter Cards to politicians in Edo State is untrue.
“The commission does not sell but issues PVCs free of charge to only registered voters,” Oyekanmi stated, emphasising that the process is transparent and strictly regulated.
Oyekanmi also highlighted that the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System had made it nearly impossible for anyone to use another person’s PVC to vote.
He warned that any attempt to do so would result in arrest and prosecution on election day.
“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.
“To that extent, 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,” he added.
The PVC collection process in Edo State began on August 22 and is scheduled to continue until September 8, 2024.
Oyekanmi pointed out that the process was still ongoing, making any claims of uncollected PVCs being sold premature and unfounded.
INEC has urged TESA and other concerned individuals to present any concrete evidence of misconduct by its officials to the commission for immediate action.
The CPS noted, “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 reiterated that INEC remained committed to ensuring a free and fair election in Edo State, and any allegations of unethical behavior would be thoroughly investigated.
