Man found with 101 PVCS in Sokoto jailed one year

AMAGISTRATE Court in Sokoto State has jailed one Nasiru Idris, who was found with 101 Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCS) for one year.

The Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the Independent National Electoral commission ( INEC), Festus Okoye, stated, yesterday, that the offence contravened Sections 117 and 145 of the Electoral Act 2022.

“In the last couple of weeks, the police have arrested some individuals found to be in illegal possession of voter cards in some states of the federation. In one case, the police have concluded investigation and handed over the case file to the commission resulting in the successful prosecution of one Nasiru Idris at a Magistrate Court in Sokoto. He was found to be in possession 101 PVCS, in contravention of Sections 117 and 145 of the Electoral Act 2002. He has been sentenced to one year,” Okoye stated.

He stated that the police in Kano State also arrested a man found to be in possession of 367 PVCS.

Okoye, who said the suspect had been charged to court and that INEC was pursuing his prosecution, assured of the commission’s commitment to go after all violators of the Electoral Act and ensure their prosecution.

Meanwhile, following the end of the statutory period for the display of the register of voters for claims and objections, Okoye noted

INEC’S readiness to make the collection of PVCS hitch- free.

To this effect, he said a Standard Operating Procedure ( SOP) had been developed.

He said: “This will be among the issues to be discussed and finalised at a retreat holding in Lagos from November 28 to December 2, 2022 involving all the Resident Electoral Commissioners ( RECS) from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).”