The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa has allayed fears that rogue politicians may connive with its staff to rig the 2019 election using uncollected permanent voter cards.
Addressing journalists in Yola on Saturday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Kassim Geidam said technology employed by the commission would not allow people to vote using other persons PVCs..
He said a machine would display the photograph and other information of voters before they were allowed to cast their votes, adding that crude ways of rigging had been eliminated by technology.
He said as REC, he knew the exact number of uncollected PVCs and he would recall the cards to the state headquarters of INEC before the elections for safe keeping, saying no politician could have access to uncollected PVCs.
Gaidam disclosed that a total of 288,043 permanent voter cards were lying uncollected, calling on owners to come forward and pick their cards at registration areas.
“As I address you today, we have 288,043 uncollected PVCs, out of which 164,409 cards are for 2017 and 2018 registrations.
The commission approved display of register of voters at all polling units. This is in accordance with section 19 & 20 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended)”, he stated.
“About two weeks ago, the state office received the PVCs for the first quarter of the year totalling 95,085. We therefore use this medium to appeal to all those who registered within this period to visit our LGA offices for collection of their PVCs and the 226 RA centres from 6th to 12th of Nov 2018,” he said
According to him, the display for claims and objections will take place simultaneously with the collection of PVCs.
“The essence of the exercise is the removal of the following ineligible voters from the registers— decreased voters, non-Nigerians, registration with still pictures, under aged and multiple registrants,” Gaidam explained.
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