The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has debunked a report in a national newspaper (not Vanguard) to the effect that it had concluded plans to destroy over six million uncollected Permanent Voter Cards PVCs.

INEC in a message on its X handle on Sunday said the report was incorrect.

“Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper report that the Commission is contemplating the destruction of over six million uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) going back to the 2015 voter registration.

“The report is incorrect. At no time did the Commission contemplate the destruction of uncollected PVCs. The public is advised to discountenance the story”, the commission stated.

Ahead of future elections in the country, INEC had recently recommended the use of computer-generated voting slips by those who do not have the PVCs.

Speaking last month in Abuja during the quarterly consultative meeting with Residents Electoral Commissioners RECs, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said PVCs should no longer be the sole requirement for voting, especially with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS.

Yakubu said the commission having released its 524-page main report on the 2023 general election, it has consulted widely with its own officials and externally with all major stakeholders

“The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards PVC as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.

“Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them”, Yakubu had said.

Oil marketers have started loading Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and Kerosene from the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company.

Dealers confirmed this on Friday, as they demanded Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the recently rehabilitated plant.

WRPC, under the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, came on stream on December 30, 2024, after the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, announced its resumption of operations during a tour of the facility.

Speaking with one of our correspondents on Friday at the refinery, the Chairman of the Delta State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Harry Okenini, said though the plant was working, it was not at 100 per cent functionality.

He, however, pointed out that marketers had started lifting diesel and kerosene from the refinery.

“Right now, there is no production of petrol. So, we are not loading PMS. We hope to load PMS soon. We can confirm to you that the plant is working although not at 100 per cent. And IPMAN, Warri Depot Unit, is waiting for the production of PMS so that we can load.

“For now, only the Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, and Dual Purpose Kerosene are being produced and loaded out for consumption.

“Hopefully, by February, we are expecting cooking gas, PMS, and other products to come out. As of now, the retail unit is only loading AGO and DPK,” he added.

Also speaking with our correspondents at the refinery, the National Chairman of the Surface Tank and Kerosene Peddlers, a branch of NUPENG, Israel Omokere, stated that the refinery was in operation.

He said, “Hopefully the PMS will come on board. We are loading kerosene and AGO for now.”

PUNCH

Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has denied reports of rumours of him dumping the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Posting on X, the former governor wrote: “Please disregard the patent lies and rumours about my political affiliation. I have referred the lead peddlers of the fake news for further action by my lawyers.”