INEC Refutes Claims of Plan to Destroy 6m Unclaimed PVCs

INEC Refutes Claims of Plan to Destroy 6m Unclaimed PVCs

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

In a swift response to swirling rumors, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports suggesting an intention to destroy over six million unclaimed Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

The commission labeled these claims as “incorrect” and insisted that it has never considered such measures regarding uncollected PVCs.

The contentious report alleged that INEC was contemplating a policy to withdraw and ultimately destroy PVCs that have remained uncollected for a decade. This assertion characterized the proposed actions as part of 208 recommendations that emerged from a thorough review of the 2023 general elections.

According to the report, the issue of unclaimed PVCs has become increasingly pressing, with over six million cards still awaiting collection as of the 2023 elections. Many of these cards date back to as early as 2015.

In outlining the commission’s efforts to address the low PVC collection rate, the report stated, “Following the publication of the Register of Voters, the commission made available the PVCs for collection by voters on December 12, 2022. The exercise was initially planned to end on the 22nd of January 2023. However, the fact that a huge number of registered voters had yet to collect their PVCs forced the commission to extend the deadline to the 5th of February 2023.”

The commission also noted that, to facilitate an easier collection process, it devolved the distribution of PVCs to local ward levels from January 6 to 15, 2023. Additional measures were implemented, allowing voters to locate their PVCs online for convenient pick-up, with the support of several civil society organizations (CSOs) aimed at bolstering the collection rates.

However, INEC took to social media on Sunday, advising the public to disregard the damaging story. “The commission urges the public to discountenance these unfounded claims,” the statement said, reinforcing its commitment to facilitating the electoral process without resorting to the destruction of voter cards.