The Independent Electoral Commission on Monday offered reasons on why the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), among others have not been able to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
This was even as the Commission revealed that as at January 31, it had recorded 42.7 million PVC distribution, which represents 65 per cent national average.
These disclosures were made by the INEC Deputy Director in charge of Voters Education and Publicity, Nick Dazang, at a one-day workshop for newsmen in Kaduna.
Dazang added that some states have even achieved distribution up to between 79 per cent and 80 per cent average.
The INEC Deputy Director disclosed that the commission encountered the problem of lost of data, which was caused by some INEC staff.
According to him: “The initial loss of data led to loss of finger prints and that was why the Sultan of Sokoto, Governor Fashola of Lagos and others could not get their PVCs.
“The attitude of some INEC staff led to loss of the data.”
Dazang however declared that despite the challenges being faced by INEC, the commission has achieved 65 per cent distribution of PVC nationwide and expressed optimism that the percentage of PVC distribution would increase substantially before the election.
According to him, as at January 31, INEC has recorded 42.7 million PVC distribution, which represents 65 per cent national average, adding, however, that some states have achieved distribution up to between 79 per cent and 80 per cent average.
Dazang gave the breakdown on state by state basis to include Adamawa (79.5 per cent), Gombe (78 per cent), Jigawa (79 per cent), Katsina (79.4 per cent), Osun (70.7 per cent) and Taraba (80.5 per cent).
His words: “These are states that have done very well, but the national average is 65 per cent.
“This figure (65) is conservative.
“At the end of the one week extension, we are expecting between 79 per cent to 80 per cent national average.
“Even in an examination if you score this figure, nobody will say you did badly.
“The best INEC has done is the extension of one week and by statistics, within the first three days of distribution of PVC, cards going into millions were distributed.
“If we have one week extension, what stops us from distributing the balance?”
Dazang therefore advised the electorate, who were yet to collect their PVCs, to do and notify those whose data were lost and those who did the Continuous Voter Register that their cards were now ready.
INEC, he stated, cannot achieve 100 per cent PVC distribution “because some people must have died”.
He emphasized that the onus is not on INEC but on Nigerians to avail themselves of the opportunity of the extension of PVCs distribution and collect their cards.
He said: “By law, INEC cannot force people to register and cannot force people to collect.
“By law, we don’t have the power to force people to collect PVCs.”
Dazang further advised those who were reportedly buying PVCs to desist from doing so, pointing out that they were wasting their time and at the same disenfranchising owners of the card.
In his words: “The report we are having is some people are collecting money before giving out PVC to their owners.
“We urge you to report to INEC anybody caught for appropriate sanction.”
Dazang revealed that though there are 120,000 polling units across the country, INEC has procured 152,000 card readers and had since been distributed to the states of the federation.