The police have said that they would begin a manhunt for politicians who are obtaining Permanent Voter Cards in order to rig the general elections in 2023. This occurred at the same time as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warned politicians and political parties that it would not tolerate any unlawful conduct and stated that anyone discovered purchasing or selling PVCs would be detained and charged.
The development follows news that certain politicians were amassing PVCs and coercing voters into harvesting their voter ID numbers.
Mohammed Haruna, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Plateau states, had alerted authorities that some politicians were purchasing PVCs in advance of the 2023 elections. He also said that two people had recently been found guilty of illegally possessing PVCs in the states of Sokoto and Kano.
However, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, warned politicians that the 2023 elections would not be “business as usual” in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday. He claims that the implementation of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System will prevent election rigging and other irregularities. Oyekanmi warned the parties and their followers to encourage registered voters to cast their ballots for their favorite candidates on election day instead of attempting to sabotage the democratic process.
“INEC does not have a favorite candidate; the commission is not a political party. Since the completion of the 2019 general elections, we have been working to improve the current tools and introduce new ones in order to get ready for the 2023 elections. These developments aim to protect the process’ integrity and render it impossible for any politician or INEC staff to rig an election in favor of any particular candidate. Because INEC has strayed far from the time when the Incident Form might be utilized for that purpose on election day, the suggestion that certain politicians are purchasing Permanent Voter Cards in order to rig the 2023 general election is unfounded.
“Therefore, one legitimate voter gets one vote in this election in 2023. No PVC means no vote. No voting, no BVAS accreditation. According to the Electoral Act of 2022, if you try to cause disturbance at the polling place because the BVAS rejects your fingerprint and face, the security personnel nearby will arrest and convict you. As a result, things won’t be business as usual during this general election. Politicians who continue to buy PVCs in order to cast fake ballots on election day will not only be disappointed, but also arrested and punished, the INEC warned.
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