INEC – Burnt PVCs in Plateau and Abia will not affect the elections.
By Punarimam Fehintola
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC said the fire incident that occurred at the Qua’an Pan Local Government office of the Commission in Plateau State on Saturday 9th February 2019 and the first incident that occurred in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government office of the Commission in Abia State on Saturday 2nd February will not affect the upcoming elections.
In a statement signed by its national commissioner and chairman information and voter education committee Festus Okoye said Some of the items destroyed in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government include 2979 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and other materials. At the Qua’an Pan office, items destroyed include 5987 uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), 380 Voting Cubicles, 755 ballot boxes, 14 generators, election forms and official stamps.
He added that “ the Commission has notified the Acting Inspector General of Police of the emerging trend of the burning of the Local Government Offices of the Commission close to the conduct of the elections and at a period when the Commission is engaged in the massive movement of election related materials nationwide”.
Okoye further explained that INEC has directed that “ the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Plateau State to open a register for all those in the affected Local Government Area who approach the Commission to collect their PVCs within the specified period. The Commission will print the PVCs and make them available for collection in good time before the elections he added Reprinted and delivered the Permanent Voters’ Cards of the affected registered voters in Isiala Ngwa South in Abia State.
According to OKoye the two fire incidents did not affect the Smart Card Readers that are presently being configured in the respective state offices of the Commission.
“The Commission wishes to assure all Nigerians that it will not succumb to the antics of arsonists whose motive might be to create fear in the minds of voters and sabotage the conduct of the 2019 general elections”.
