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  • PVCs Ready For Collection — INEC
  • The Independent National Electoral Commission,
    INEC, yesterday said the commission had produced
    Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for all the registered voters
    in the country.

    Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mr
    Nick Dazang, disclosed this at a workshop organised for
    journalists in Kaduna.
    INEC had in January announced that it registered 68.8
    million voters in the country for this month’s general
    elections.
    Dazang said although the commission earlier had
    challenges in the production of the cards, it was able to
    overcome the challenges.

    He said the commission had produced cards for those
    whose data were lost and those recently captured during its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
    “At a point in time, the contractor producing the cards had
    machine failure, but after sometimes, he overcame the
    problem and was able to boost level of production from
    350,000 to 600,000 per day.
    “The one we sublet was able to produce 1.4 million daily
    and that explained why we keep telling people that we have
    confidence that we will produce the card and every one will
    get it.

    “Now, as we speak, the cards for those whose bio-data
    were captured during the Continuous Voters Registration are available for collection.”
    He said the cards had been distributed to respective states
    for collection and owners could collect theirs at the
    distribution centers.”
    Dazang also said that no fewer than 65 per cent of the cards had been collected nationwide as at yesterday morning.
    “As at last week when we had a meeting with our Public
    Affairs Officers in Abuja, the commission had distributed 63
    per cent of the cards.”
    He assured that those who registered would collect their
    cards before February 14.

    Dazang said the commission had taken delivery of 152,000
    card reader machines, which would be used at the 120,000
    polling units during the polls, adding that each card reader
    was configured for use at specific polling units.
    Dazang also said that non-sensitive materials had been
    distributed, while the distribution of sensitive materials
    would begin soon.

    Dansang, who commended the level of collaboration INEC
    had with the media, said the commission would continue to
    work with journalists to improve the nation’s election
    process.

    “For any election to be successful, the electoral body must
    work with the media,” Dazang said.
    As ex-confab delegates seek polls’ postponement
    Meanwhile, barely two weeks to the general election, some
    former members of the 2014 National Conference, yesterday, called for the postponement of the election,
    saying INEC was not ready for the polls.

    The delegates, in their separate presentations on the issue
    at a symposium entitled “The National Conference and the
    2015 Elections” organised by the HH Macaulay Centre for
    the Advancement of Democracy in Abuja said going ahead
    with the election when many Nigerians were yet to collect
    their PVCs would mean disenfranchising thousands of
    eligible voters.

    Some of the delegates who were mainly discussants
    included Col. Tony Nyiam, Mr. Dan Nwanyanwu, Madam
    Anko Briggs, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Mr. Yinka Odumakin
    amongst others.
    Senator Femi Okoromu, who was also a delegate to the
    defunct conference was the chairman of the occasion.

    Though some of the panelists differed on the postponement of the elections for fear of prompting violence and protest in the country, some however were in favour of the call.
    For instance, former National Chairman of Labour Party
    (LP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu was one of those who
    supported the call. According to him, INEC had fallen short
    of the expectations of many Nigerians in the distribution of
    the PVCs.

    Also speaking, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief
    Mike Ozehkome also advised that it would amount to the
    disenfranchisement of many Nigerians should the elections be held as slated without considering the inadequacies of INEC.

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