The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has countered a statement by All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Bola Tinubu that the permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) earlier issued by the commission have expired.
Mr. Tinubu, who recently announced his ambition to contest the presidency in 2023, made the claim in a video that went viral on Wednesday.
“They may not announce to you on time, the PVC you have has expired,” Tinubu said in the video which was recorded in Abuja on Tuesday during a visit by a group from Lagos that came for the APC Women Conference.
Calling on his visitors to mobilise voters from the grassroots, the former Lagos State governor added that voters’ turnout in elections has been diminishing over the years because the PVCs have expired.
“It is mandatory you go and register to be able to vote and achieve your aspiration,” he advised his audience.
Chief technical adviser to the INEC chairman Prof. Bolade Eyinla, however, says the statement by Tinubu is not correct.
“This information is NOT CORRECT!!! The PVC issued to all previously registered voters remains VALID.
This kind of statement will certainly push eligible voters to register more than once thereby creating the problem of double & multiple registrations,” Eyinla said in a message shared on a WhatsApp platform.
Chief press secretary to the INEC chairman Rotimi Oyekanmi also advised that “Nigerians who already have their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) do not need to register again.”
Mr. Oyekanmi added: “In fact, double registration is an offence under our laws. Eligible Nigerians are entitled to register only once. Once a name appears on the National Register of Voters, it stays there permanently.
“One of the very few instances where a name could be removed from the Register is if there’s a strong and verifiable proof that the person bearing the name has died.”
