INEC deletes 2.7m double registrations, expresses concern about insecurity
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
About 2.7 million double registrations have been removed from the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) which ended in July, according to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mamoud Yakubu.
He disclosed at a National Endowment for Democracy event in Washington that about 50 per cent of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are ready but are yet to be distributed to collection centres, and a new set will be available in November.
Yakubu’s spokesman Rotimi Oyekanmi also quoted him as raising concern about security challenges but he gave an assurance the INEC will do its best.
“It is a perennial issue because, at the end of the day, it is not new but the dimension of the insecurity is new in the sense that in the past, it was localised or confined to a particular part of the country – the North East but now, it is more widespread,” he said.
__________________________________________________________________
Related articles:
95m voters to determine Nigeria’s next president in 2023 — INEC
INEC to deploy undercover agents to stop rigging at polling units
INEC canvasses for partners in election logistics
_________________________________________________________________
Keeping an eye on North West, South East
“We are keeping our eyes, particularly, on the North West and the South Eastern part of the country,” Yakubu added, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“Elections are conducted by human beings. We worry about the security of our officials, materials, and even the voters themselves. Without them, elections cannot be conducted.
“We have spoken to the security agencies and they have assured us that the situation will improve before the elections. So, fingers crossed.”
Backstory
INEC National Commissioner and Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman Festus Okoye announced in September discovery of several double, multiple, and ineligible registrants who were invalidated.
He said cleaning up the Voters’ Register with Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had been ongoing since the suspension of the CVR on 31 July.
INEC had earlier announced that 1,126,359 out of the 2, 523,458 PVC registrations between 28 June 2021 and 14 January 2022 were invalid and deleted.