Buying of PVCs is a fruitless exercise – INEC

INEC Head of Voters Education and Publicity in Plateau State, Mr Osaretin Imahinyereobo, also said “those collecting VIN and serial numbers are also doing so out of ignorance, because it will be difficult for anyone no matter how connected to erase those numbers and you cannot use the numbers without the cards.”Mr. Imahinyereobo however said […]

INEC Head of Voters Education and Publicity in Plateau State, Mr Osaretin Imahinyereobo, also said “those collecting VIN and serial numbers are also doing so out of ignorance, because it will be difficult for anyone no matter how connected to erase those numbers and you cannot use the numbers without the cards.”
Mr. Imahinyereobo however said the commission was concerned about the buying and selling of cards, but stressed that “those engaged in this should know that illegal possession of the cards is an offence liable to two years imprisonment or a fine of N500, 000. Likewise for underaged voting, it is 12 months or N500,000. These things have penalties and their punishments are weighty but people just think that the punishments cannot be applied,” he warned.
INEC’s response is coming at a time when fears of alleged collection of PVCs and the card’s vin numbers is heightened in Plateau State. A woman was nearly lynched in Jingir, Bassa local government area, on Friday while the All Progressives Congress last week threatened to withdraw from a peace pact it signed with other political parties, accusing the Peoples Democratic Party of bribing people with food and fertilisers for their cards.
Our correspondent gathered that the alleged buying and selling of PVCs is said to be high in the Central and Southern senatorial zones of the state where some selected individuals are said to be going from house to house to coarse aged women into selling their PVCs in exchange for money, food stuff or fertiliser.
A source in Plateau Central said the aim of getting the cards vin and serial numbers was to enable some politicians in collaboration with some INEC officials erase the numbers at the polling units thereby rendering the cards useless.