•••Relocates Collection Centres in Six LGAs
•••Says Procured Bulk PVCs Useless
Kamsi Anayo and John Ugo, Awka
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised the alarm over non collection of 132,626 Permanent Voter Cards PVCs in the 21 local government areas of Anambra state.
The electoral umpire has equally, relocated Six local government area collection centres in the state over insecurity.
This is as the commission declared that the conduct of the 2023 general elections would be a big surprise to Nigerians.
These were announced on Wednesday at the INEC headquarters in Awka, by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu.
She spoke at a Stakeholders meeting comprising all the political parties, traditional rulers, Civil Society groups, officials of National Orientation Agency, NOA, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, political party leaders, the media, among several others.
Agwu, mentioned the local government areas where the relocation of collection centres took place as Ihiala, Nnewi South, Onitsha North, Orumba North, Awka North and Awka South.
The REC, said the collation of PVCs had been extended to Saturdays and Sundays in the state, adding that they needed enough security to carry out their function.
She said if they don’t collect their PVCs, they were shortchanging and doing disservice to the people of Southeast.
Agwu, assured that 2023 general elections would be free, fair and credible, not only in the state, but the entire country.
According to the REC, “This election is going to surprise Nigerians; it’s going to be free,fair and credible. I can assure you that there will be no writing of results, take it or leave it. Go and collect your PVCs.”
Dr. Agwu tasked traditional rulers, President Generals of various town unions in the state, churches and political parties as well as communities, wards, electoral units, groups and other stakeholders to sensitise their wards and people on the best ways towards securing the INEC sensitive and non sensitive materials to be sent to their various communities and to restrain the youths from acts capable of scuttling the peaceful conduct of the polls.
According to her, traditional rulers and town union leaders should assist in sensitising registered voters in their respective communities to go to the INEC offices in the various local government areas to collect their PVCs.
The REC assured them that with effect from today (Wednesday), the Commission’s local government offices in the state would be open daily from morning till 6pm, including Saturdays and Sundays to enable those who have not collected their PVCs to do so.
She also blamed political parties for the controversies over vote buying accusing them that they were architects of such electoral crime.
She warned the parties and their candidates to steer clear as such activity is against the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“It’s an offence against the Electoral Law. If you want to obey it or not to obey it, it’s up to you but don’t come to beg me,” Dr. Agwu warned.
The commission said that it was not going to go after those with bulk PVCs which were secretly collected or bought from registered voters, pointing out that those cards would not be useful to those keeping them during the 2023 polls.
“Those who are buying PVCs are just wasting their money because they will be useless for them because there will be no voting by proxy, and, those who are selling their PVCs are just destroying their future because if you sell your PVCs for say N20,000, it means that it is only N20,000 you will gain from government for four years or eight years.
“We shall plan on not only how to sensitise our people to participate in the election, but, also, how to provide security to INEC materials that will be deployed for the conduct of the election and electoral officers who will conduct the elections”, the REC stated.
The Electoral Officers of the commission in the different councils in the state had during the parley read out the number of unclaimed PVCs in each of the 21 LGAs which include Ogbaru local with the highest number of unclaimed PVCs of 16,755, Idemili-North 16,256; Aguata 12,675; Onitsha South 12,274; Onitsha North 9,990; Nnew North 8,700; Anambra East 7,717; Oyi 7,582; Njikoka 7,009, Anaocha has the least number of only 885 unclaimed PVCs.
Other are Orumba South 6,566; Awka- South 4,539; Ihiala 4,058; Ekwusigo 3,350; Orumba North 2,393; Nnewi South 1,841 and Awka North 1,543 unclaimed PVCs.
The traditional rulers and Town Union Presidents, including party chieftains, assured that they would carry the message to their respective areas.
