The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted after thousands of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) were found in a forest in Akamili -Umudim, Nnewi North local government area of Anambra state.
According to INEC, the PVCs are already defaced, obsolete, and no more useful for the purpose of the 2023 general elections.
This platform reported on Wednesday that an unidentified Nigerian hunter found thousands of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Anambra State.
It was gathered that this is coming amidst the various complaints by many Nigerians who could not find their PVCs with the Independent National Electoral Commission, despite registration.
However, a hunter was said to have discovered thousands of PVCs in a bush at Nnewi North Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The hunter took the PVCs to Authority FM radio station in the state and a staff seen in the video expressed displeasure over the development.
A staff of the radio station identified as Ikenna, who received the PVCs from the hunter, told Daily Post that the PVCs were later moved to the palace of the Umudim traditional ruler.
During an interview with Legit, a staff of INEC at the Nnewi North office who did not disclose her name because she was not authorized to speak for the commission, said such an incident could happen when PVCs are already defaced and have stayed more than twenty years with the commission.
The commission added that the PVCs might be the ones that were not collected by their owners, and was no longer useful for any election in Nigeria.
She said: “Personally, I am not aware of discovery of such PVCs in the forest; but because of my long service with the commission, I believe that voters cards that remain in INEC office, which are defaced, or ones that are no more useful for future elections could be disposed of.
“Many registered voters left their PVCs in INEC offices for as much as ten to twenty years. Most of such people are no longer alive. Most of the PVCs are no longer useful for future elections. Most of them are already defaced. So, such cards, I believe, cannot be allowed to take spaces in INEC offices, because, they are no longer useful. I am sure, that is what happened with the issue we’re discussing now.”
