INEC – We’re investigating claim of PVCs found in Anambra.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said that it has launched an inquiry into the alleged discovery of Permanent Voter’s Cards in a forest in Anambra state.

Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Head of the Information and Voter Education Committee, stated this on Channels Television’s The 2023 Verdict on Friday.

Recall how a viral video recently showed hundreds of PVCs being shown with the allegation that they were discovered by a hunter while hunting inside the forest in Nnewi North, Anambra State?

“We are aware that there are some persons and forces who try to delegitimize this particular election,” Okoye stated. So, the total number of registered voters in that specific local government is roughly 250,000, but in that video, they were talking about millions of PVCs that were discovered. In that specific local government, we have already gathered about 99% of the PVCs. We have now directed our Resident Electoral Commissioner and Election Officer for that specific local government to notify the DSS and the police.

“And then individuals responsible for that specific incident must be invited; they must tell us where they found those PVCs and how they found those PVCs because we need to investigate;

“… and know if the PVCs are from the Commission or whether some persons cloned such PVCs in order to delegitimize the Commission’s work and also the election process,” Okoye explained.

Okoye was perplexed as to how PVCs could be found in millions for a local government with just about 200,000 registered voters.

He questioned the validity of the claim, inviting those who made it to come and offer further information on where and how they found the PVCs.

He stated that the persons who discovered the PVCs and the radio station where they were reportedly presented should be referred to the Department of Security Services for further explanation.

“So, if the PVSc were found in millions for a local government that registered just around 200,000, then some people have a question to answer,” the INEC Commissioner said. “Let those who found the PVCs and the radio station where those PVCs were displayed go to the DSS and police and make a report, and if they don’t make that particular report.

“We have also directed that the report should be made and they should be summoned in to come and account for how they found the PVCs because we have not heard of a case where hunters are now hunting PVCs rather than hunting animals in the forest. So let them come and tell us how they got to be hunting PVCs in the forest,” he added.