TheCable

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is currently investigating alleged extortion in connection with the distribution of permanent voter cards (PVCs) in Enugu east LGA of Enugu state.

A now-viral video shows a woman charging N1,000 each from registrants who came to collect their PVCs.

She said in the video that the N1,000 was to cover her transport fare and stress she went through to get the cards to a primary school in a neighbourhood in the LGA.

Speaking with NAN on Monday, Rex Achumie, INEC’s head of department of voter education and publicity in Enugu, said the woman in the video is not a staff or a hoc staff of INEC.

He added that none of the people in the video are INEC employees.

“INEC wants to unravel how the cards got into the hands of the unscrupulous woman in the first place,” he said.

“We are looking at getting the electoral officer in charge of the area to liaise with his staff to know who actually gave the woman the cards.”

Achumie assured residents that INEC would get a clearer picture of the whole episode by Tuesday, as well as “where and whom the woman in question is working for”.

INEC had, on Sunday, extended the deadline for the collection of PVCs.

The previous deadline was January 29 while the new deadline is February 5.

The commission said the decision followed reports from the various states and discussions with resident electoral commissioners (RECs).