Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians and individuals with stolen or purchased Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) not to attempt any manipulation of the 2023 general elections. According to Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner who was speaking on Channels TV Sunday Politics, with the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS), cheating or manipulating of results is practically impossible. “In terms of any politician bypassing the BVAS, I want to tell you that that will not happen, that is an impossibility,” Mr. Okoye said. “Some politicians are very optimistic, they normally plan for the rainy day; they are still thinking that there is a possibility that they can beat the BVAS that we are going to use for voter accreditation and authentication but their exercise will be an exercise in futility. “Anybody who is purchasing a permanent voter card is just engaging in an exercise in futility. The only thing any person can do is to make sure the voter does not vote on election day but for you to come to the polling unit on election day with voter’s card belonging to someone else, and you attempt to vote with it, that is an impossibility, the BVAS will not capture your fingerprint,.”
He added that polling units will remain in public places. “We removed polling units from the palaces of traditional rulers, we removed polling units that are near the homes of politicians, we removed polling units that are in shrines, we also removed polling units from places we consider not conducive for electoral business,” he said.
