The All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has apologised for misleading his supporters with a false claim that their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have expired.
Tinubu’s apology came after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rebuked him over the false claim.
In a statement issued by his media office and signed by Tunde Rahman, Tinubu claimed that he “mistakenly used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that the cards may have to be updated.”
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The 2023 presidential aspirant and two-time Lagos State governor had asked his supporters to approach INEC along with their family members to re-register for a new PVC because the ones they have will be unusable in the 2023 elections.
He had claimed that the number of eligible voters in the country is “diminishing because those cards expired” and that “It’s mandatory that you go and register to vote.”
But INEC quickly shut down the APC leader’s claim and warned that “This kind of statement will certainly push eligible voters to register more than once thereby creating the problem of double and multiple registrations.”
Reacting, Tinubu’s media office said “Immediately upon being apprised of this, Asiwaju apologised for the incorrect statement and felt sorry for any confusion it may have caused.
“Asiwaju Tinubu also stressed that he appreciates the patriotic and necessary work of INEC and its personnel in assuring a free and fair electoral process for all Nigerians in all political parties.”
The APC leader further urged his supporters to review their details with INEC to ensure they’re up to date to avoid issues during the 2023 general elections.