2023 polls: INEC devolves PVC collection to wards nationwide, eyes turnout

…Ward level collection to begin today, last for nine days, Saturdays, Sundays inclusive

…Announces ICC-Abuja as Collation Centre for presidential election

As the demand to organise a credible and hitch free general elections in 2023 become tasking, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun to fix its machineries to manage the polls without flaws as Nigerians expect.

The Commission on Thursday, as part of measures to ensure massive collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by registered voters, announced it has devolved the collection of the cards to the ward level nationwide.

Prior to one, it has been observed that the collection of PVCs were only available for collection at the Commission’s 774 local government offices across the Federation.

However, the ward-level exercise would only last between January 6 and 15 January 2023, after which the exercise reverts to INEC local government offices.

In a statement on Thursday, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, disclosed that “the Commission also resolved to devolve PVC collection to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards from Friday 6th to Sunday 15th January 2023.”

According to him, the devolution of PVC collection to the wards commences on 6th January 2023, and all validly registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs are encouraged to seize the opportunity of the devolution to the wards to do so.

“After the 15th of January 2023, the exercise will revert to the Local Government Offices of the Commission until 22nd January 2023. All eligible and valid registrants can collect their PVCs from 9.00am to 3.00pm daily, including Saturdays and Sundays,” he stated.

He said all those who applied for replacement of lost, damaged, or defaced PVCs can collect their PVCs at the Registration Area/wards during this period and the same thing applies to those who registered prior to the 2019 general election and are yet to collect their cards.

“The PVCs of those who applied for transfer are available for collection in the Local Governments and Registration Areas where they intend to vote and not in the State or Local Government where they carried out the transfer.

“The Commission appreciates the patience and understanding of Nigerians who trooped to our various Local Government Offices to collect their PVCs. In making the cards available for collection, the Commission is also working to ensure that the process is simple and hitch-free for Nigerians,” Okoye stated.

It would be recalled that the Commission held a retreat in Lagos with all its Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory from 28th November to 2nd December 2022.

Resolution from the retreat had the Commission finalised the procedure as well as the timetable for the collection of PVCs and consequently the collection of PVCs commenced in all the 774 Local Government Offices of the Commission throughout the Federation.

This is just as INEC as part of its management plans for the general elections has announced the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja as Collation Centre for the presidential election slated for February.

This was part of the decisions made at the Commission’s regular weekly meeting which was held on Thursday in Abuja, where deliberations were made on several issues, including the venue for the National Situation Room and Collation Centre for the 2023 General Election.

Festus Okoye making disclosure on the decision, said: “As general elections approach, the Commission establishes a National Situation Room and Collation Centre where the results of Presidential elections are collated. Once again, the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja will serve as the venue for this important exercise.”

Following the development, the Commission has established two committees, the first being the Collation Secretariat, where Presidential results from the States will be collated.

“This will be headed by the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in exercising his constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the Presidential election. In addition, a few technical staff will assist him.

“The second is the Situation Room and Collation Centre Committee, which shall be responsible for the preparation of the venue, seating arrangement, utilities and services, security, the accreditation of party agents, as well as the national and international observers, media, etc,” Okoye stated.

The Committee is chaired by National Commissioner Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu. Members include some national Commissioners like Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru and Barr. Festus Okoye. Others are Director, Electoral Operations, Director, ICT, Director, Planning and Monitoring, Director, Security, Director, Election and Party Monitoring and Director, International Cooperation and Protocol.

Others are Director, Research, Director, Health Services, Director, Estate, Works and Transport, Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman, Special Adviser to the Chairman, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman and Director, Commission Secretariat who would serve as Secretary.

“The Situation Room and Collation Centre Committee was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who charged it to commence work in earnest and to discharge its responsibilities diligently,” Okoye added.

INEC in few days have been making disclosures on the infrastructure for the General Elections which would commence with the presidential election by February. INEC on Wednesday disclosed it has set aside additional 8,809 Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as back up that will be deployed across all the polling units nationwide for the 2023 elections.

Festus Okoye on Wednesday said the Commission would deploy over 194,464 BVAS machines in 176,846 polling units across the country.

The Commission, which took delivery of the last batch of the machines at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday, said this was in line with its contingency provisions for all critical election materials.

Okoye explained that 176,846 polling units would receive a BVAS each, adding that each registration area amounting to 8,809, would also get at least two BVAS as backup in case of malfunction, bringing the total to over 194,464 BVAS machines.

Okoye said, “We have 176,846 polling units in Nigeria. All of them will have a BVAS. Some polling units may still have more than 750 registered voters. We shall deploy additional BVAS to such polling units.

“We have 8,809 registration areas in Nigeria. Each one will have at least two BVAS for purposes of quick intervention in cases of sustained malfunction of  BVAS in any of the polling units in each electoral ward.”

Okoye, in an earlier statement, had disclosed that the Commission received the last batch of the BVAS machines on Tuesday.

He said the Commission created four airport hubs in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt to facilitate the smooth delivery of the machines.

The statement reads: “In furtherance of the preparations for the 2023 general election, the Commission, yesterday, 3rd January 2023, received the last consignment of the bimodal voter accreditation machines with 52 days to the election.

“The Commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, national commissioners and senior officials of the commission were at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to receive the BVAS. Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company and airport security officials were at the airport to receive the INEC team.

“To facilitate the smooth delivery of the machines, the Commission created four airport hubs in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. Over the last four months, several flights delivered the BVAS to the designated airports for movement to states of the federation ahead of the elections.

“With the arrival of the last flight in Abuja yesterday, the Commission has now taken delivery of the required number of the BVAS for all the polling units in the country and extra machines in line with our contingency provisions for all critical election materials.

“The Commission appreciates the support of all Nigerians in its determination to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive 2023 general election facilitated by the deployment of technology.”