The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over a false statement he allegedly made concerning Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).
It would be recalled that Tinubu who recently hosted some of his supporters, had said there has been a decline in the number of eligible voters in recent times because of expired PVCs.
This was however countered by Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Bolade Eyinla who lamented the recklessness of the former Governor of Lagos State who is also aspiring for the position of number one citizen of the country.
He said Bola Tinubu should be guided with the kind of statements he will be making in public, which may cause misunderstanding and unnecessary panicking among the Patriotic citizens who had already obtained the PVC.
Eyinla explained that those who have registered for the election do not need to do so again because their cards are valid for future elections.
The INEC Chairman’s CTA further noted that such a claim could push people into registering twice.
According to him, “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 and multiple registrations”.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi who also commented on the claim made by Tinubu, pointed out that double registration is an offense under Nigeria law.
Oyekanmi said: “In fact, double registration is an offense 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”, he added.
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