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No Expiry Date For PVCs, INEC Tells Nigerians …To Deploy 1m Officials To 176,846 Polling Units
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has again reiterated that the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) have no expiry date.
Yakubu said the claim that PVCs expire was misleading, calling on Nigerians not to register more than once as “multiple registration is an offence under the Electoral Act”.
He made this known while speaking at the official presentation of the INEC 2022-2026 Strategic Plan and the Commission Election Project Plan for the 2023 general election in Abuja.
The INEC chairman stated that the PVCs of validly registered voters from the first and second quarters were already available for collection at designated centres across the country.
He further appealed to Nigerians, who registered between June and December, 2021, to collect their PVCs in person, stressing that no PVCs would be collected by proxy.
Yakubu noted that the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise would end on June 30, 2022, calling on all eligible voters that are yet to register to do so on or before the closing date.
He said: “Let me also reassure those who registered between January and March, 2022 as well as those who are doing so until the end of the exercise that their PVCs will be ready for collection long before the 2023 general election.
“For emphasis, the commission once again reiterates that PVCs have no expiry dates. We want to assure all registered voters that PVCs issued by the commission remain valid for all elections.
“We have encouraged those whose lost their voters cards or whose cards are damaged to approach any of the registration centres to apply for replacement.
“Similarly, voters who had issues with their accreditation in previous elections have been encouraged to revalidate and update their information.
“In addition, those who wish to transfer their registration from one location to another within a particular state or to relocate entirely to another state of the federation can do so at any of the registration centres nationwide. These steps are in compliance with the law in order to serve Nigerians better.
“The claim that PVCs expire is misleading. Citizens are therefore advised not to register more than once as multiple registration is an offence under the Electoral Act. Anyone engaged in the act of double or multiple registration is liable to prosecution. No citizen should engage in it or encourage others to violate the law,” he stated.
Yakubu stated that the 2023 general election will involve an estimated one million electoral officials (both permanent and temporary or ad hoc staff) deployed to 176,846 polling units in 8,809 Wards and 774 Local Government Areas across the country.
The INEC chairman stressed that the election will be governed by a new Electoral Act 2022, which contains many progressive provisions that will enhance the capacity of the commission to conduct elections and manage the electoral process better.
He added: “To do this, the commission relies on three key elements. First is the knowledge and experience gathered from the conduct of previous elections. Second is the use of innovations to enhance electoral integrity and improve voter experience. Third is the institutionalization of the culture of planning.
“These elements have guided the commission through three successive general and several off-cycle and bye-elections.
“Consequently, our elections are getting better, electoral outcomes less contentious, and voter experience of the electoral system increasingly more participatory and inclusive.
He further stated that the Strategic Plan 2022-2026 and the 2023 Election Project Plan drew lessons from, and thoroughly reviewed, the level of implementation of the last plans.
The INEC chairman added that the new plans were built on the successes of the preceding plans, especially in the planning and conduct of the 2019 general election as well as off-cycle and bye-elections.
Speaking on the spate of insecurity in the country, Yakubu said INEC will continue to engage early and intensely with the security agencies to ensure the safety of the commission’s officials, materials, and voters.
He said: “We are also aware of the security challenges and their impact on the electoral process.
“We will continue to engage early and intensely with the security agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and materials, accredited observers and the media and, above all, the voters.
“Clearly, these are challenging times but we are determined that election must hold in 2023.
“However, this is a shared responsibility. INEC plays a critical role but the commission alone cannot deliver the elections we all desire. I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to join hands with us in ensuring that we make a success of the process.”
The INEC boss further reiterated that the dates for all activities in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 general election are firm and fixed, calling on all stakeholders to take the dates into consideration while planning their activities.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.