2023: INEC, NCC meet Tuesday over E-transmission of results

Commission Fixes Dec. 12 To Jan. 22 For PVCs Collection

The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), BVAS, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, yesterday, said the commission was already working to resolve election result issues that may arise from blind network spots.
This was as the Commission yesterday announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would start on Monday, December 12, 2022 and end on January 22, 2023. The INEC chairman, who spoke at a One-Day Strategic Interactive session with journalists in Lagos, was reacting to reservations by Nigerians on the possibility of using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in poor network areas as it depended on telecommunications network to work.

Yakubu said the commission would be meeting with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday, on mobile network issues that might affect transmission of results. 
He said that Nigerians had nothing to fear about the effectiveness of result transmission in the 2023 general elections, using the BVAS.
The INEC chairman said they were liaising with NCC to make sure there would be seamless transmission of results in the 2023 elections.

“INEC has identified blind spots where there are poor or no networks, and we are working to make sure there won’t be any problem. We are working with the NCC to make sure we transmit from blind spots. They are the network regulators and they will be very vital to that.
“We are making sure and working hard so that we transmit freely all around the country,” he said.
Earlier, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, appealed to the media to continue to assist the commission to fight misinformation.

In a statement later in the day, Okoye announced that the PVCs would be collected in all its 774 local council offices.
He said the Commission also resolved to devolve the exercise to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards from Friday 6 to Sunday, January 15, 2023.

“Those that are unable to collect their PVCs at the Local Government Offices of the Commission can do so at the Registration Areas/Electoral Wards. After January 15, 2023, the exercise will revert to the Local Government Offices of the Commission until January 22, 2023,” he stated. 

Okoye added: “All eligible and valid registrants can collect their PVCs from 9.00am to 3.00pm daily, including Saturdays and Sundays. 
“All the RECs and Electoral Officers (EOs) have been directed to convene a meeting with the critical stakeholders in their States and Local Government Areas, including traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, community-based organisations and the media to brief them on the modalities for the collection of the PVCs in order to sensitise the public and ensure seamless exercise.

“Similarly, RECs and EOs have also been directed to set up help desks to assist registrants with complaints about their PVCs or with the PVC collection procedure for immediate redress.
“The Commission appreciates the patience and understanding of Nigerians, especially those who registered as voters or applied for transfer/replacement of their cards from January to July 2022. In making the cards available for collection, the Commission is also working to ensure that the process is simple and hitch-free for Nigerians.”