SUN. 27 NOV, 2022-theGBJournal|The Nigeria Police Force has arrested some individuals found to be in illegal possession of voters’ card in some States across the Federal , the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) said Saturday.
The Commission, in a press statement said, ”the Police has already concluded investigation in one case, and handed over the case file to the Commission resulting in successful prosecution of one Nasiru Idris at a Magistrate Court in Sokoto.”
INEC said 101 PVCs was found in Idris’s possesion, ”in contravention of Sections 117 and 145 of the Electoral Act 2002.
He has been sentenced to a year in prison.
Similarly, the Police in Kano State has arrested a man who was found to be in possession of 367 PVCs. INEC said the man has been charged to court and the Commission is pursuing his prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Commission has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure seamless collection of PVCs across the country ahead of the 2023 General Election.
The Commission said ”this will be among the issues to discussed and finalised at a retreat holding in Lagos from 28th November to 2nd December 2022 involving all the resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
INEC said it will release the dates as well as the detailed procedure for the immediate collection of PVCs nationwide, and reiterated its resolve to continue to pursue ”all violators of the Electoral Act and ensure their diligent prosecution.”
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