The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the reasons they cannot extend the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration in Nigeria.
On Friday, Mike Igini, the Akwa-Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), made this disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s morning program, Sunrise Daily.
The electoral commissioner stated that extending the voter registration exercise will disrupt the Commission’s preparation for the 2023 general elections.
He noted that INEC will have to “consolidate; aggregate the data and thereafter run the biometric accreditation system to weed out all multiple registrants.”
He also pointed out that Section 17 of the Electoral Act only mandates the Commission to stop voter registration less than and not exactly 90 days to the election.
Igini added that the electoral umpire will produce and distribute the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to the new registrants, a process that takes time.
INEC ended the voter’s registration on 31st July with many Nigerians still clamouring for a date extension.
