INEC – Politicians can not bypass BVAS with purchase of PVCs

INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye stated in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

Thqt “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said politicians can not byepass the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) technology by purchase of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs)”.

He said, “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,” he added. 

Recall that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had alleged that politicians are buying PVCs from poor voters to manipulate the next elections.

“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.

The INEC commissioner also said polling units have been removed from shrines, churches, mosques, and homes of powerful politicians to ensure electoral integrity. He tasked voters to support the commission’s efforts through shared responsibility and mandate protection to ensure free and fair elections in 2023.

“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,” he said.

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