INEC resumes voters registration

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, said all was now set for the commencement of continuous registration exercise in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, ahead the 2019 general election.

Chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this in Abuja, on Monday, during the quarterly interactive section with newsmen, however, hinted that the 7.8 million eligible voters who participated in the previous exercises were yet to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs).

Professor Yakubu said the commission was only able to distribute a little above 700,000 during the last exercise.

He explained that the fresh exercise was to afford those eligible voters that for one reason or the other could not partake during the last exercise and to “enable those who are now of age to partake.”

According to him, “we have been able to distribute a little above 700,000 PVCs, we still

have over 7.8 million PVCs in our custody. We need more voters’ education and enlightenments, we are urging our people to come over and collect their PVCs for them to vote or be voted for at all elections.”

Professor Yakubu said he had summoned a meeting with all the resident electoral commissioners and their administrative secretaries for the take-off of the exercise.

While defending his stewardship, Yakubu said 80 elections were voided during the 2015 general election, adding that of 167 elections conducted under his leadership, only one had so far be voided by court. In addition, he said under him, 30 certificates of returns were issued based on court orders.

The INEC boss also hinted that out of the 40 registered political parties, only two had rendered their financial accounts to the commission in accordance with the electoral law.

Speaking, national president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Waheed Odusile, demanded for a free, fair and credible election under the new election management body.