The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said politicians who are reportedly buying Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) are wasting money and time in their ploys to rig 2023 election which is impossible.
Newsonline reports that INEC said politicians who have resulted in buying PVCs of voters are optimistic that on election day they will bypass the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS).
INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, said this on Channels TV Sunday Politics on Sunday while answering questions on the preparedness of the commission to conduct a free, fair and credible election come 2023.
Okoye said all accreditation of voters must be done using the BVAS. He added that BVAS will reject biometric data of persons who are not original owners of the traded PVCs.
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“The BVAS will be used for the accreditation and authentication of voters come 2023, and it will reject biometric data of persons who are not original owners of the traded PVCs.
“In terms of any politician, bypassing the BVAS, I want to tell you that that will not happen, that is an impossibility,” INEC said.
INEC maintained the politicians cannot beat BVAS.He said politicians shoudl try to convince voters on the need to vote for them and not thinking they can manipulate the BVAS.
“Some politicians are very optimistic, they normally plan for the rainy day; they are still thinking that there is a possibility that they can beat the BVAS that we are going to use for voter accreditation and authentication but their exercise will be an exercise in futility.
“Anybody who is purchasing a permanent voters card is just engaging in an exercise in futility. The only thing any person can do is to make sure the voter does not vote on election day but for you to come to the polling unit on election day with voter’s card belonging to someone else, and you attempt to vote with it, that is an impossibility, the BVAS will not capture your fingerprint,” INEC warned.
On issue of citing polling units in private residencies, worship centers, Festus Okoye disclosed that the commission in its commitment to delivering free, fair and credible election come 2023 has moved all polling units out of private residencies of individuals and worship places.
“We removed polling units from the palaces of traditional rulers, we removed polling units that are near the homes of politicians, we removed polling units that are in shrines, we also removed polling units from places we consider not conducive for electoral business,” INEC said.
