The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that people who buy Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the general elections in 2023 are wasting their time, energy, and money.
Festus Okoye, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, said this at a training for journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State. The training was put on by the Nigeria Union of Journalists and INEC together.
Okoye, who was there through the deputy director of the gender department, Ndidi Okafor, spoke to the crowd. She said that identity theft is the only reason why many people won’t vote in the elections.
Okoye said that anyone who buys PVCs is wasting their time at the training on conflict-sensitive reporting and the general election in 2023.
He said that journalists play important roles in making democracy stronger, which is why they are getting training right before another general election in Nigeria.
Okoye said,
“Anyone who buys PVC is wasting their time and money. It’s a waste of time and energy. A waste of time.
“There is no way to steal ballot boxes and ballots again. Technology is to blame. Identity theft is the only reason why some people won’t vote. The fingerprint and the face are what we’re looking at.
“So, if your finger didn’t match, your face must match. If your fingerprints and your face don’t match, you can’t vote because that means you don’t own the PVC. That is theft of identity.
“Because the media is a stakeholder, and one of the most important ones at that. So, I want to ask you, the media, because you have a stake in this.
“Let me say it again: identity theft is the only reason why some people won’t vote in the elections. So, we ask you to help us educate the public and make them more aware. We need you to make sure the news is right.”
