INEC Refutes Claims That It Connived With APC To Manipulate PVC Collections In Lagos

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Lagos has refuted allegations that it conspired with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the state’s collection of permanent voter cards. (PVC)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made the assertion on Monday, January 16, at a press conference.

Olusegun Agbaje, the resident electoral commissioner for INEC in Lagos, responded to the claim by calling it all “fabricated.”

The statement read: “It is pertinent to clarify and correct the frivolous accusation by PDP that some INEC staff are colluding with members of the ruling party in the state to deny some groups of people access to collect their PVCs.

“Mention was equally made of Mr Muyiwa Yusuf, the head of department VR/ICT INEC in the state who was alleged to have connived with the APC to clone the faces of voters through the privileged access he has to the PVCs.

“It has become necessary to comment on the recent report which far from being true, was a gross misrepresentation and diversionary both in content and context.

“It is obvious that this orchestrated story by PDP was fabricated to distort the reputation of INEC in the state and to soil the name of the officer in question.

“INEC has neither political affiliation nor inclination with any party in the state. Collection of PVC is based on a first-come, first-served.”

Agbaje, who insisted that eligible Nigerians had not been denied their right to collect PVCs in any of the state’s 20 local government areas (LGAs), also said that on election day, the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) of INEC would not certify any PVCs that had been duplicated.

He said: “The exercise being embarked upon in the commission at the moment is the scanning of PVCs to harvest phone numbers of eligible registrants yet to collect their cards with a view to contacting them via bulk sms.

“The commission strongly believes in equity, transparency, integrity, and fairness in the conduct of her business.

“We shall continue to uphold these fundamental principles in the discharge of our constitutional duties and responsibilities as an unbiased umpire to all stakeholders.”