News
Over Six Million Uncollected PVCs To Be Destroyed By INEC In New Policy Recommendation
…political parties differ on Implementation
The Independent National Electoral Commission is contemplating a policy to withdraw and destroy Permanent Voter Cards that remain uncollected for a decade.
This recommendation was among 208 proposals arising from the commission’s review of the 2023 general elections.
The move stemmed from the persistent issue of unclaimed PVCs, with over six million cards still uncollected as of the 2023 elections, including many issued as far back as 2015.
Stakeholders in the post-election review recommended that INEC address the backlog of uncollected PVCs by implementing a policy to withdraw PVCs that remain uncollected for extended periods, starting with cards issued in 2015.
The rationale is that these cards are unlikely to be claimed, and their retention clogs the voter management system.
“Following the publication of the Register of Voters, the commission made available the PVCs for collection by voters on December 12, 2022. The exercise was initially planned to end on the 22nd of January 2023. However, the fact that a huge number of registered voters had yet to collect their PVCs forced the commission to extend the deadline to the 5th of February 2023 after devolving the collection to the ward level between January 6-15, 2023 to ease the process.
“The low rate of PVC collection and other related challenges are illustrative of the problem of processing and managing voters in Nigeria. To increase the rate of collection of PVCs, the commission implemented a policy that made it possible for voters to locate their PVCs online and subsequently pick them up. Several CSOs supported the commission’s drive to increase PVC collection by working with INEC’s state/FCT Offices to record all uncollected PVCs and to inform their owners where and how to collect them.
“With support from the development partners, some of the CSOs also created information centres in selected states and the FCT to assist voters locate and collect their PVCs. Despite these efforts, over six million PVCs remained uncollected, many of them dating back to 2015.
Consequently, one recommendation from the review was that the commission should consider withdrawing PVCs issued in 2015 since it is not clear if the owners will ever collect them,” INEC said.
Also, the commission proposed plans to modernise Nigeria’s electoral process, including the gradual phase-out of PVCs and the introduction of diaspora voting.
It was explained that with the adoption of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, PVCs may no longer be necessary for voter accreditation. Instead, voters could use computer-generated slips or credentials downloaded from the commission’s website.
“Unlike the SCR, the voters’ register is now resident in the BVAS. The new device does not read and extract voters’ details from the PVC. Moreover, the Electoral Act 2022 has made biometric accreditation (fingerprint or facial) mandatory for voting.
“The utility of the PVC is now limited to voter identification. It is therefore possible to identify voters using their registration slips which obviates the need for PVCs, the cost of producing them, the logistics for their distribution and the fact that voters without them are unable to vote, thus raising serious issues of disenfranchisement. With the BVAS, voters can be identified using their registration slips otherwise known as the Temporary Voter’s Card and accredited biometrically without the need for a plastic PVC.
“However, such a step requires the amendment of Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which makes the presentation of the card (PVC) to the PO at the PU mandatory before accreditation and voting,” the recommendation said.
Political parties in the country hold differing opinions about INEC’s plan to destroy uncollected PVCs.
In an interview, the National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun, believed that the initiative was in order, stressing that there was a need to declutter the voters register, especially if it is confirmed that many of those registered have died.
He said, “I am sure most of those uncollected PVCs must have been as a result of irregularities in the process of registration and all that. If truly people register to vote and register as eligible electorate, they must have collected over a long period, after being given enough time.
“But I believe no system is perfect. So I think destroying them may be in order. If people have not collected over a long period, there is a likelihood those lapses were the result of some irregularities in the process of registration.”
But the Peoples Democratic Party raised a concern that destroying uncollected PVCs could be another ploy by INEC to distract Nigerians.
The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, who spoke to journalists said INEC had given Nigerians enough reasons to be suspicious.
He asserted that people refused to collect the PVCs because they had lost faith in INEC to make their votes count during elections.
Osadolor said, “How do you contemplate destroying cards produced with billions of taxpayers’ money because INEC has failed the credibility and integrity test that has made millions of Nigerians lose faith in the commission’s ability to organise free, fair and credible elections?
“I urge INEC to, as a matter of immediate action, begin an image laundering and rebranding campaign to convince Nigerians and stakeholders that the commission is ready to be truly independent in spelling, actions and character.”
Also, the New Nigeria People’s Party advised INEC to reconsider the plan to destroy PVCs.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said destroying over six million voter cards would amount to sheer waste of money.
He said, “If people register and haven’t come to collect over a long period of time unless they know those people have passed on, I think the cards should not be destroyed as long as they are in safekeeping.
“If you destroy about six million PVCs, and all of a sudden, some of the owners show up and want to vote, it will cost God-knows-how-much to register them again. It’s a waste of money.”
However, some Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who spoke to newsmen backed INEC to destroy the uncollected PVCs, asserting that there are no legal impediments.
A former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said some of the uncollected PVCs were likely products of double registration.
“They (uncollected PVCs) are taking space. My suspicion is that the owners don’t exist. It is double fraudulent registration by a lot of people. Just as I am sure that we are not up to 200 million neither do I believe that we are up to 90 million registered voters when only 20 percent of that is always voting. There is a lot of fake information and fake facts in this country and I’m sure this is part of it. So, let them destroy the uncollected PVCs,” he said.
Another tragic road accident has reportedly claimed lives at the notorious Ugwu Onyeama axis in Enugu State, involving a passenger bus and a trailer.
Eyewitnesses said the collision left the bus completely crushed, with an unspecified number of people feared dead.
The driver of the trailer was reportedly still trapped in the wreckage as of the time of filing this report.
Welders were said to have been deployed to the accident scene with specialised equipment in an attempt to cut through the wreckage and rescue the trapped driver.
The exact number of fatalities and injured persons could not be immediately ascertained.
The latest incident has again raised concerns over the recurring fatal accidents along the Ugwu Onyeama stretch of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
Further details are expected as rescue operations continue.
See video
News
FG Reopens First Niger Bridge After 38 Days of Rehabilitation, Umahi Rallies Support for Tinubu’s Re-election
News
NCDMB Tasks Anambra Journalists on Local Content Advocacy, Accountability in Oil and Gas Sector
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has charged journalists in Anambra State to intensify advocacy for local content development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry while holding operators accountable for compliance with statutory requirements.
The Board also urged media practitioners to give greater prominence to Nigerian Content issues to enable more indigenous businesses, professionals and communities to take advantage of opportunities in the oil and gas value chain.
The General Manager, Corporate Communications of NCDMB, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, gave the charge on Thursday during the Nigerian Content Media Stakeholders Workshop for Editors and Journalists in Anambra State, held at Golden Tulip, Awka.
Ezeobi described the media as a critical stakeholder in the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, stressing that journalists must go beyond routine reportage to set agendas, educate the public and monitor compliance with local content obligations.
He urged journalists to leverage their roles as agenda-setters and gatekeepers to draw attention to developments in the industry, highlight opportunities for Nigerian businesses and professionals, and demand accountability from oil and gas operators.
According to him, the workshop was designed to deepen journalists’ understanding of the Nigerian Content framework, improve the quality of industry reportage and strengthen collaboration between the Board and media organisations in Anambra State.
Ezeobi described Anambra as a strategic location for the engagement, noting that the state is recognised as an oil-producing state and ranks as the second-highest oil producer in the South-East, with an estimated production capacity of 3,000 barrels per day.
He also identified the presence of prominent indigenous oil and gas entrepreneurs, including Emeka Okwuosa of OilServ and Ernest Nnaemeka Azudialu-Obiejesi, founder of the Nestoil Group, as further evidence of the state’s significance in Nigeria’s energy industry.
The NCDMB spokesman maintained that journalists must acquire adequate knowledge of the local content law and the Board’s interventions to effectively inform residents about opportunities available to businesses, professionals and host communities.
He recalled that since the enactment of the NOGICD Act and the establishment of NCDMB in 2010, the Board had consistently recognised the media as a strategic partner in advancing Nigerian Content development.
Ezeobi explained that the Act mandates the Board to deploy media platforms, communication channels and stakeholder engagement initiatives to promote the development of indigenous capacity in the oil and gas sector.
He further noted that the Board’s 10-year Nigerian Content Strategic Roadmap, developed in 2017, identified collaboration and stakeholder engagement as key enablers of its implementation.
He credited the media with helping to elevate Nigerian Content into a national development agenda, adding that Nigeria’s achievements in the sector had influenced other African countries to adopt similar policies.
According to him, effective communication and stakeholder engagement have equally contributed to NCDMB’s recognition as the best federal agency on four consecutive occasions in the rankings of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
Speaking on the economic significance of Nigerian Content, Ezeobi explained that the policy seeks to develop indigenous human and material capacity, strengthen local businesses, enhance technical expertise and expand Nigeria’s industrial base.
He said the objective was to ensure that competent Nigerian companies increasingly supply goods and services required by the oil and gas industry while indigenous professionals acquire the technical skills necessary to compete effectively.
He added that strengthening local manufacturing and productive capacity would help retain greater economic value within Nigeria, create employment opportunities and stimulate the growth of domestic enterprises.
The General Manager disclosed that the Board had introduced several programmes and interventions to achieve these objectives, assuring participants that the workshop would provide further insights into its mandate, achievements and available opportunities.
He said the event would also feature a panel discussion on Nigerian Content and community development, as well as a session on award-winning journalism and building a purpose-driven career, particularly in technical sectors such as oil and gas.
Ezeobi expressed optimism that the engagement would equip journalists in Anambra with the knowledge required to produce more comprehensive industry reports, promote local participation and strengthen accountability among operators.
He encouraged participants to engage actively in the discussions, ask critical questions, challenge assumptions and share their professional experiences to ensure that the workshop achieved its objectives.
The workshop forms part of NCDMB’s broader stakeholder engagement initiatives aimed at promoting awareness of its mandate, programmes and opportunities under the Nigerian Content framework.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The political cold war between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State has deepened ahead of the 2027 general elections, following growing disagreements over the parties’ support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
At the centre of the controversy is APGA’s political slogan, Progressives Are Working Together, which the Anambra APC alleges is a smokescreen designed to hijack the President’s re-election campaign structures in the state.
The tension has been further heightened by the appointment of Governor Charles Soludo as a member of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, a development APC stakeholders in the state have criticised as a slight on loyal party members.
The disagreement came to the fore at a meeting of the Anambra State Elders Council in Awka, where members faulted Soludo’s directive urging APGA supporters to vote for Tinubu in the presidential election while backing APGA candidates in the National and State Assembly elections.
Speaking at the meeting, APC chieftain Bunty Onuigbo questioned the political wisdom of the arrangement, arguing that it could undermine the President’s chances of securing a supportive majority in the National Assembly.
“Where is the sense in voting for Tinubu of APC and voting for APGA in the rest of the general elections?
“If Tinubu becomes President without his party members having a majority in the House of Representatives and Senate, it amounts to political suicide,” he said.
Onuigbo alleged that the APGA-led government was exploiting the purported progressive alliance to take control of political activities meant for the APC in Anambra.
He recalled that during a recent visit by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, APC stakeholders in the state were allegedly sidelined while APGA officials dominated the arrangements.
“An APGA member was appointed minister, alongside other appointments, when we have qualified APC members who can serve in those positions. Today, the leader of another political party has been appointed to the Presidential Campaign Council even though he is not a member of our party,” he lamented.
APGA Rules Out Alliance Beyond Presidential Election
However, the Anambra State Chairman of APGA, Barrister Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, dismissed suggestions of confusion within his party, insisting that its understanding with the APC was strictly limited to Tinubu’s re-election.
“Let me state categorically that there is no other political or electoral collaboration with the APC beyond the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that is it.
“For the senatorial elections, they are on their own. For the House of Representatives elections, they are on their own, and for the State House of Assembly elections, they are equally on their own.
“There is no contractual or political alliance between APGA and APC concerning the other elections,” he declared.
Obi-Okoye maintained that APGA would field candidates for all three senatorial districts, 11 House of Representatives seats and 30 State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra.
According to him, the party’s decision to support Tinubu does not amount to surrendering its electoral interests or political identity to the APC.
He also dismissed fears that the arrangement could confuse voters, describing the Anambra electorate as politically sophisticated and capable of making independent choices across party lines.
“Our people know what to do, and you will see it play out on election day. There will be no confusion of any form or manner.
“Besides, voters will be given separate ballot papers for the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections. Confusion could only arise if all three elections were conducted using a single ballot paper,” he explained.
Despite APGA’s clarification, the disagreement has exposed growing cracks in the political understanding between the two parties, particularly over who controls Tinubu’s campaign machinery in Anambra.
With the 2027 elections approaching, APGA candidates now face the delicate task of campaigning for an APC presidential candidate while simultaneously seeking to defeat APC candidates contesting other elective positions in the state.
The unfolding situation raises fresh questions about the sustainability of the much-publicised progressive alliance and whether the competing political interests of both parties can be reconciled ahead of the polls.
Tighten the opening for sharper impact
Make the political conflict more balanced
Remove repetition and streamline quotations
Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has called on the police to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into violence surrounding a recent political gathering in the state, during which a citizen was reportedly shot and injured.
The governor, in an address to the people of Enugu State, expressed concern over the incident, assuring affected individuals and their families that their safety and well-being remained a priority.
Mbah said the reported violence had raised concerns about public safety and the peace the state had worked to maintain, stressing that all citizens must be able to exercise their political rights without fear or intimidation.
He reiterated the Enugu State Government’s position on allegations of involvement in the violence, stating that the government’s primary responsibility was to protect lives, uphold the law and ensure that justice was served.
The governor also said he expected the police to investigate the incident thoroughly and without bias, adding that anyone found responsible would be held accountable through the appropriate legal process, irrespective of their political connections.
“Every citizen, whatever their political affiliation, must be able to exercise their political rights without fear or violence,” Mbah said.
He urged residents to remain committed to peace as authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The governor concluded his message by expressing concern for those affected by the violence and praying for the continued peace and progress of Enugu State.
-
Politics21 hours agoUNPOPULAR? Abati Seeks Confirmation of Ebonyi Gov’s Name During Interview With Anyichuks
-
Politics4 days ago2027: Enugu Alleges Opposition Plot to Import Armed Thugs, Bandits
-
Opinion4 days agoEBONYI GUBER 2027: Are Clergy, Youths, Political Stakeholders Becoming Accomplices in Bad Governance?
-
Features4 days agoNew Cement Factory: Is Ebonyi Governor Misleading the People Over Proposed Nkalagu Project?
-
Politics2 days agoEbonyi Students Endorse ANYICHUKS, Declare ‘We Won’t Support a Failure’
-
News3 days agoMbah Calls for Impartial Probe into Violence at Political Gathering in Enugu
-
News1 day ago
2027: APC, APGA Rift Deepens Over Support for Tinubu’s Re-election
-
Crime3 days agoEnugu Police Investigate Viral Video of Alleged Torture of 60-Year-Old Woman in Nkanu East