INEC To Destroy Over Six Million Unclaimed PVCs

INEC To Destroy Over Six Million Unclaimed PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering a policy to withdraw and destroy Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that have remained uncollected for a decade, according to reports from The IReporter…READ MORE…

This recommendation emerged from a comprehensive review of the 2023 general elections, which resulted in a total of 208 proposals. The initiative is a response to the ongoing issue of unclaimed PVCs, with more than six million cards still uncollected as of the 2023 elections, some of which date back to 2015.

Stakeholders involved in the post-election evaluation have urged INEC to tackle the backlog of uncollected PVCs by implementing a policy to withdraw those that have been left unclaimed for extended periods, beginning with those issued in 2015.

The rationale behind this move is based on the belief that these cards are unlikely to ever be claimed, and retaining them complicates the voter management system.

“After the publication of the Register of Voters, INEC made PVCs available for collection starting December 12, 2022. Originally, the collection was set to end on January 22, 2023, but due to the large number of registered voters who had yet to collect their PVCs, the deadline was extended to February 5, 2023, with collection being devolved to the ward level from January 6-15, 2023,” the commission noted.

“The low rate of PVC collection and associated challenges highlight the systemic issues in managing voters in Nigeria. To enhance PVC collection rates, the commission introduced a policy allowing voters to locate their PVCs online for pick-up. Various civil society organizations collaborated with INEC to document uncollected PVCs and inform their owners about the collection process.”

Despite these efforts, over six million PVCs remain unclaimed, many of which were issued as long ago as 2015. Consequently, one of the review’s recommendations is for INEC to consider withdrawing PVCs issued in 2015, as it is unclear whether the owners will ever collect them.

Additionally, the commission proposed modernizing Nigeria’s electoral process, which includes gradually phasing out PVCs and introducing voting for citizens living abroad. With the implementation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), PVCs may soon be unnecessary for voter accreditation; instead, voters could use computer-generated slips or credentials obtained from the commission’s website.

“Unlike the previous voter registration system, the voters’ register is now integrated within the BVAS, which does not extract voter details from PVCs. Furthermore, the Electoral Act 2022 mandates biometric accreditation (fingerprint or facial recognition) for voting,” the commission explained.

“The role of the PVC has shifted primarily to identification. It is feasible to identify voters through their registration slips, thus eliminating the need for PVCs. This change would not only reduce the costs associated with producing PVCs but also alleviate logistical challenges in distribution and prevent disenfranchisement of voters without PVCs. With the BVAS, voters can be identified using their temporary voter cards and biometrically accredited without requiring a plastic PVC.”

However, implementing this approach would necessitate amending Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which currently mandates presenting the PVC to the polling officer before being accredited to vote.

Diverse Reactions from Political Parties

Political parties in Nigeria are divided over INEC’s plan to destroy unclaimed PVCs.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Kehinde Edun, the National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, supported the initiative, emphasizing the need to streamline the voters’ register, particularly as it is likely that many registered individuals have died.

He stated, “Most of those uncollected PVCs likely stem from issues during the registration process. If individuals truly register to vote and are eligible, they should have collected their PVCs long ago after being provided ample time.”

However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expressed concerns that destroying the unclaimed PVCs could be a tactic by INEC to distract the public. PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor commented, “How can they contemplate destroying cards generated at the expense of taxpayers when INEC has failed to uphold the trust of millions of Nigerians?”

Osadolor urged INEC to launch an image restoration campaign to reassure the public of its commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections.

The New Nigeria People’s Party also advised INEC to reconsider its decision to destroy PVCs, with National Publicity Secretary Ladipo Johnson arguing that disposing of six million voter cards would represent a significant waste of resources.

He asserted, “Unless it is confirmed that these individuals have passed away, these cards should remain in safekeeping. It would be prohibitively expensive to re-register those who suddenly show up wanting to vote after their cards have been destroyed.”

Legal Support for INEC’s Decision

Conversely, some Senior Advocates of Nigeria have endorsed INEC’s decision to destroy the unclaimed PVCs, stating there are no legal barriers preventing such action. Prof. Itse Sagay, a former chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, suggested that many unclaimed PVCs may stem from cases of double registration.

Sagay commented, “These uncollected cards are just taking up space. I suspect many of their owners no longer exist. We are also not close to having 200 million citizens or 90 million registered voters when only a fraction typically votes. There is much misinformation in this country, and I believe these cards are a part of that problem. Therefore, I support the destruction of unclaimed PVCs.”

Echoing this viewpoint, another SAN, Sam Erugo, added, “Given that these PVCs have been unclaimed for so long, destroying them seems justifiable. It suggests something is amiss with the owners—either they have died or duplicate registrations exist. While it raises questions about the rights of eligible voters without cards, unclaimed PVCs are essentially useless at this point.”

However, Paul Obi (SAN) advocated for increased public awareness rather than rushing to destroy the PVCs. “What is the rationale for destroying six million voter cards? Even if they remain uncollected, these cards belong to Nigerians who may need them in future elections, and taxpayers have already funded their production,” he argued.

Obi emphasized the importance of raising awareness to ensure that those eligible collect their PVCs, arguing that it would be counterproductive to destroy them only to require production of new cards in the future.

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