Commission may shift deadline for PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC) has revealed that it is considering the possibility of shifting the March 8 deadline for the distribution and collection of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for the March 28 and April 11 general elections.
National Commissioner, Information and Voters Education and Chairman of Voters Education Public­ity Committee, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, who disclosed this to reporters at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, spoke of the possible postponement on the recently deliv­ered one million hitherto unprinted PVCs this week.
According to him, “let me make this very clear. I want you to take me by my words, the commission made the commitment that by March 8, which is this Sunday, we are likely to end the collections of PVC.
“I want to say, however, that the commission is also in a position to make a categorical statement about when to end the distribution of PVCs. Since we told Nigerians that we still have about a million PVCs which we took delivery of this week, we will see what time we will give for those who are yet to collect theirs. I spoke with the Director, ICT, he informed me that he has taken delivery of the cards,” he noted.
Iyimoga dismissed the allegation that INEC aban­doned corps members that were injured during the 2011 elections including refusal to offset the hospital bills of many victims.
Dismissing the speculation, he said: “Our youths who worked so diligently for this nation in 2011 were not abandoned. I do know that for all electoral per­sonnel, there is usually an insurance policy for every­body. Insurance policies cover all persons involved in any activity of the elections. I do remember clearly that insurance payment was made to members of the families of the deceased we lost in Suleja, Bauchi and other parts of this country.”
The commissioner declined comments on the per­sistent rumours over the termination of appointment of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, either by the timing of his tenure of office or outright removal, stressing that it is a matter for the Presidency.
“This is not an area I should dabble into. The ap­pointment of the chairman of the commission is the responsibility of Mr. President and it has an endorse­ment of the National Assembly and whatever posi­tion that is to be taken has to come from that end,” he said.