We haven’t cleared Bello of double registration allegation ―INEC

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday explained the reasons for issuing the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, a new Temporary Voter Card (TVC) despite the allegation of double registration earlier levelled against him.

The commission said the development did not mean that the governor had been exonerated of the allegation

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof James Apam, said this in Lokoja, the state capital during an interactive session with newsmen and members of the Civil Society Organisations (CSO).

According to him, the issuance of the TVC to the governor was based on advice from the legal department of the commission, saying at the appropriate time steps would be taken on the issue.

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He stated that the governor had applied for the transfer of his voter registration from Abuja to Okene and it was acted upon based of advice since he had earlier registered at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He added that the fact that Bello was issued a new TVC did not mean the commission would not continue with the allegation that the governor registered again in his office in Lokoja.

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Apam added that the decision was taken to enable the governor exercise his right as a citizen of the country.

He said, “The fact that there is an allegation against the governor does not take away his right to demand a transfer, when his application was brought tobINEC, it was subjected bto legai advice and the application was approved while the allegation of double registration is still hanging on him.”

It would be recalled that the commission had last year accused Bello of engaging in double registration following which the commission sacked two of its staff and compulsorily retired another senior staff.

Speaking on the continuous voters registration exercise, the REC said the commission had registered 176, 868 people since the commencement of the exercise in April 2017.

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He explained that out of the total registration, 90, 523 were males, while 86, 313 were females, adding that 57, 148 Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) were distributed from the 2015 registration.

He however said at least 202, 289 PVC remained uncollected across the state, expressing worries over the huge number of unclaimed voters cards in the state.

Apam urged the people to go to the local government offices of the commission to collect their cards to enable them perform their civic obligation of voting during elections.

He stated that INEC could not take the cards to the people where they live because of security challenges, adding that the organisation would collaborate with the National Population Commission (NPC) to remove the dead from the voters register.

He however said the commission was poised to conduct a hitch free election in 2019, soliciting the support of the media and the CSOs in the quest to further develop the country’s democracy.