12 Jun INEC To Consider Extension of Registration Deadline as Rush For PVC Heightens
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said the commission may consider an extension of the deadline for voter registration.
This came even as efforts by Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has reached a fever pitch after political parties conclude their presidential primaries ahead of the 2023 general election.
Yakubu spoke on Saturday at an event tagged ‘Youth Vote Count 2.0 Mega Concert’, organised by YIAGA Africa, a civil society organisation, in partnership with the European Union and INEC.
“We have heard your requests loud and clear. You will soon hear from us on extension of CVR registration,” Yakubu said.
“Please assure me that you will register, pick your PVCs and vote. I also assure you that your votes will count.”
The commission had said it would suspend the online voter pre-registration exercise on May 30, while the online pre-registration and physical registration will subsist simultaneously until the CVR exercise is suspended on June 30, 2022.
YIAGA Africa had, in an earlier statement, called for an extension of the voter registration exercise on the grounds that many Nigerians are yet to get their PVCs.
From Lagos to Ogun, Oyo, Enugu and other states of the federation, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, INEC officials were battling to cope with the number of people who turn out daily to either collect their PVCs or be registered by the Commission.
Officials said the sudden upsurge in the number of people seeking to be registered, as well as those who want to collect their PVCs to enable them participate in the 2023 elections, was the result of the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of PDP, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr. Peter Obi as the candidate of Labour Party (LP).
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.