CVR: INEC Explains Why 7 Million Nigerians Can’t Get PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why about seven million Nigerians who applied for Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) cannot get the cards needed to vote in the 2023 general election.

The electoral body described as misleading, the claim that it deliberately denied the seven million registrants the opportunity to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming federal and state elections to be held on February 25 and March 11, respectively.

Festus Okoye, INEC’s spokesperson, reacted to a lawsuit filed by some citizens who accused the commission of “failing to give them and other seven million Nigerians adequate time and opportunity to complete their voter registration after they have carried out their registration online.”

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1662/2022 was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by 24 citizens on behalf of others.

The plaintiffs are Ayoola Opeyemi Ebenezer; Eche Onah Otakpa; Olatoye Clement Damilola; Adeeyo Bayo Wasiu; Kunat Tychius Amos; Emeghe Uchanma Grace; Ogunejiofor Raphael Emeka, Tagbo Philips Chidubem.

Others are Emmanuel Promise Tochukwu; Emmanuel Ternajev, Adedotun Adegoke Babatunde, Nkemdilim Agbor Bassey, Joy Oluwadamilola Ige; Lawerence Ignatius; Agbede Kunle and Eze Daniel Ndubisi.

Others are Omoike Iredia Oseine; Ndubuisi Anthony Ahanihu; Akande Akintunde O; Adamma Rhodes, Joshua Patrick Ogenekaro; Wisdom Emeka; Ukpe Victor Destiny, and Abayomi Opeoluwa.

But Okoye, in the statement, described the plaintiffs’ claim as misleading.

It reads, “To set the record straight, Nigerians may recall that on 28th June 2021, the Commission introduced the online pre-registration of voters. By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to commence the registration online and then book for an appointment at their convenience to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres. It was a novel idea leveraging on technology to ease the registration process. This was in addition to the walk-in option at physical centres, where Nigerians can commence and complete thier registration simultaneously without going through the online pre-registration procedure.

“In the interest of transparency, the Commission provided weekly statistical updates on the exercise. For the online pre-registration, a total 10,487,972 commenced the process. However, by the deadline of the exercise, 3,444,378 Nigerians completed their pre-registration physically at the designated centres in line with the Commission’s policy. Some 7,043,594 applicants did not complete the registration. Again, the Commission made the information public. This is what some people are now using to say that they were denied the opportunity when in reality they failed to either complete the online enrolment or appear physically at the designated centres to complete the process.

“A breakdown of the 7,043,594 incomplete online pre-registrations is as follows:

“1. 4,161,775 citizens attempted but either did not complete online pre-registration or abandoned it and went for the physical registration instead.

“2. 2,881,819 registrants completed the online pre-registration but did not show up to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres before the deadline.

“Therefore, it is clear that no Nigerians were deliberately denied the opportunity to complete their online pre-registration.

“We appeal to citizens to always adhere to timelines as against the endless agitation for eleventh-hour extension of set deadlines.”