Victor EzejaThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked the misleading viral message which claims that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) issued by the commission in 2011 need re-validation.
A statement issued on Friday Jaunary 21 by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, described the information as “misleading and false.”
The message, which has been trending on various social media platforms, urges voters who registered and got PVCs in 2011 to go and re-validate the cards at INEC offices, alleging that New INEC card readers for 2023 general election will not be able to read them.
But Mr Oyekanmi’s statement says it is not true. Her stated that PVCs issued in 2011 and after do not need re-validation, as they could still be used by voters in all elections, including the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections, the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections as well as the 2023 general election.
“It is also not true that the commission will use the so called New Card Reader for the 2023 General Election,” Oyekanmi explained.
“What the commission intends to use is a multi-purpose gadget known as the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED). It is currently being used for the physical registration of voters. During an election, it will facilitate the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which provides for both fingerprint and facial authentication.
“The device will also be used to upload individual polling unit election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IRevV) portal in real time on election day,” Oyekanmi explained.
He urged the general public to disregard the fake news making the rounds, about PVC re-validation, restating that, for the purpose of election, there would not be any need for that to happen.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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