INEC Bows To Pressure, Extends Voter Registration Indefinitely

The Independent National Electoral Commission has extended the ongoing continuous voter registration indefinitely.

The exercise was initially scheduled to end on June 30.

INEC National Electoral Commissioner and Chairman (Information and Voter Education Committee), Festus Okoye, made the announcement in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, all Resident Electoral Commissioners and electoral officers have been directed to continue with the exercise pending further directives from the commission.

Okoye said the commission had consistently reiterated its resolve to continue to provide electoral services to Nigerians by registering all eligible persons.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had granted an order of interim injunction stopping INEC from ending voter registration on June 30, 2022.

“The matter came up on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, and based on the request of the commission, the court granted an accelerated hearing and adjourned the matter to Monday, July 4, 2022 for hearing of the substantive matter.”

“The commission will give an update after court hearing next week,” Okoye said.

He added that INEC has deployed additional machines to areas of pressure and would continue to serve the people of Nigeria.

Speaking on the submission of list and particulars of nominated candidates for governorship and state assembly primaries, Okoye said the July 15, 2022 given to political parties remained valid.

Meanwhile, INEC in Kano State has said that 40% registered voters in the state engaged in double registration.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the ongoing voters registration exercise in Kano on Thursday.

“As of January 2022, about 40 per cent of those who registered in Kano State were found to have registered before.

“This scenario is in all the states of the federation. In fact, there were states that recorded over 50 per cent illegal registration,” he said.

Shehu said the commission would continue to enlighten and educate people to understand that the PVCs issued by the commission do not expire.

“There is no need for anybody with his/her PVC to register again because double registration is an offence as clearly enshrined in the Electoral Act 2022,” he added.
-Punch