INEC raises alarm over sells of PVCs in Kano…lead

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised alarm over alleged sells of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by unscrupulous persons to some political parties and candidates.
The Kano state Resident Electoral Commissioner of the INEC, Prof. Riskuwa Arabu Shehu, who disclosed this yesterday also said the commission decried the menace of vote buying in the country.
Already, the REC said the Commission is not taking the rumoured sell of PVCs lightly noting that it has drawn the attention of security agencies to it.
 “We have heard of the rumour of selling of the PVCs particularly in Kano. We have reported it to security agencies and we are not taking it lightly”, he said and lamented that the issue of selling of the PVCs particularly in Kano was alarming.
Describing the growing trend of vote buying as a scourge that must be eliminated because of its larger implication on the country’s political setting, he called on all stakeholders to join hands with the Commission to fight the ugly trend.
Speaking yesterday shortly after stakeholders meeting with political party leaders ahead of 2019 general election, Prof Arabu said the INEC has devised new strategies which would ensure free and fair elections in 2019.
“The menace of vote buying is a new phenomenon that cropped up when it became clear that it is no longer easy to rig elections in Nigeria. The INEC will do its possible best to ensure that nobody buys vote in the 2019 general elections.
“It is very disheartening that somebody would sell his civic right to vote for good leaders, just for a peanut of N5000 or N10, 000. I urge the security agencies, media and politicians to help INEC fight this menace of vote buying. The general public should understand the implication of vote buying.”
According to him,  over 688, 972 registered voters are yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC), out of 5, 459, 914 eligible voters who are supposed to participate in the 2019 elections in Kano state.
He said the uncollected PVC as at 31st October, 2018, include the number of those registered in 2011, 2015 and 2017/2018 respectively. For those who registered from April, 2017 to date, we have 75, 798 registered voters who have already collected their PVC.
“However, for those who registered from the second quarter of 2018 to 31st August, 2018, their PVC will soon be ready for collection, as we are still waiting  them to arrive from the headquarters.
“Before 2015 elections, we had 4, 994, 913 registered voters who participated in the last general elections. Presently, we have 5, 459, 914 registered and eligible voters who are supposed to participate in the 2019 general elections.
“But I must say that this figure is tentative because we are still cleaning the register to ascertain the number of people who are no longer here as a result of death, relocation or what have you. At the end of the day, the number may reduce.”
“Already, we have prepared the list of all the eligible voters whose PVCs are ready and they are yet to collect them.
“We have decided to decentralize the distribution—we are now doing it Ward by Ward. We have already mobilized enough staff to be stationed across the 484 Wards in the state.
“We are also engaging traditional rulers, opinion leaders, religious leaders, as well as the media for proper sensitization of the people on the need for them to collect their PVCs to enable them perform their civic responsibilities in the forthcoming general elections.”
According to him, about 74 candidates from 32 political parties are contesting for the three senatorial seats in Kano, while 401 candidates from 38 political parties are vying for 24 seats of the House of Representatives in the state.