The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed that Nigerians may no longer need Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote in future elections.
Speaking at the quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Thursday, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu suggested that computer-generated voting slips could replace PVCs for voter accreditation.
Yakubu emphasized that PVCs should not be the sole requirement for voting in Nigeria. He explained that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) can simplify the voting process and ensure efficiency.
He also noted that with the conclusion of off-cycle elections and the 2023 general polls, now is the ideal time to implement recommendations from the review of the last general election.
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Mahmood said, ”The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.
“Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.
“This will not only save costs; it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them,” he said.
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