Issues in Politics: INEC Goes Tough on Underage Voters

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is undertaking a comprehensive cleaning up of the voters’ register to remove underage persons.

The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance in Abuja during the commission’s first quarterly meeting with civil society organisations.

He maintained that only eligible citizens would be added to the voters’ register for the 2023 general election.

“We are aware that Nigerians want to know when their PVCs will be available for collection. We appreciate the role of civil society organisations in encouraging and mobilising eligible Nigerians who have not registered to do so. At the same time, we want you to continue to sensitise them that those who had registered at any time previously need not register again.

“For those who have completed the registration, the Commission is right now undertaking the most comprehensive cleaning up of the data to ensure that only eligible citizens are added to the voters’ register for the 2023 General Election. We will share our findings with Nigerians very soon. The actual dates for the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards nationwide will also be announced very soon,” Yakubu said.

The INEC chairman also said over 8 million eligible Nigerians commenced the online pre-registration, completed the registration physically, applied for transfer to new voting locations, requested for replacement of their PVCs and updated their voter information records.

According to him, since the exercise commenced in June last year, the Commission has so far published 36 weekly reports which show a consistent pattern of young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34 constituting the largest majority of registrants.

He said that students constitute the largest majority of registrants.

In terms of occupation, which he said is consistent with the dominance of young Nigerians as voters.

Yakubu said, “We will continue to work with all stakeholders, especially the civil society organisations, to sensitise the youths and other categories of voters to ensure that beyond registration, they come and out and vote on election day. We should not simply lament, criticise and condemn. We must get involved for the good of our democracy and the nation.”

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A leader of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bola Tinubu, has apologised for a misleading claim he made concerning the Permanent Voter Cards.

While addressing some of his supporters in Abuja on Tuesday, Chief Tinubu had encouraged them to register ahead of the 2023 elections because their PVCs had expired.

But the politician’s position was countered by the Independent National Electoral Commission which said the information was wrong.

According to INEC, PVCs don’t come with expiry date.

In response to the backlash that followed the misleading information, Tinubu’s media team issued a statement saying the APC chieftain mistakenly used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that PVCs may have to be updated.

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Political stakeholders in the country have called for the emergence of a credible Nigerian to succeed President Muhammed Buhari to consolidate and improve on the delivery of democratic dividends to the people.

This was the submission at a forum in Lagos organised by the Grassroots Network for Asiwaju Tinubu.

Co-founder of the group and former Chairman of Amuwo Odofin local government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale praised Chief Bola Tinubu’s courage and determination which gave birth to the 37 local council development areas created under his tenure as governor of Lagos state.

Comrade Adewale welcomed the idea of the former governor and APC stalwart to run for the highest office in the land.

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The Senate has included the consensus mode of primary in the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill as suggested by the President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, both chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, deleted compulsory direct primaries from the bill.

While the House gave options of parties adopting direct or indirect primaries, the Senate included direct and indirect primaries as well as the consensus mode as suggested by the President during his recent interview.

President Buhari had last year vetoed the electoral bill and sent it back to the National Assembly over the restriction of political parties to direct primaries.

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The National Chairman of the UDP and National Secretary Coalition for New Nigeria, Chief Godson Okoye says the National Assembly was not painstaking enough before the initial passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill which the president vetoed.

In an interview in Abuja, Chief Okoye said the more options parties had to choose their candidates the better for democracy.

He said the lawmakers did not consult wide enough before the initial passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.