The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave an update on the status of registered voters in Nigeria during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Driving the news
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu raised a concern regarding the 2023 general elections, stating that the status of 45% of the total registered voters in Nigeria are invalid as of January, 2022.
- The commission made this discovery just as Nigeria entered the fourth quarter of the ongoing voter registration restarted in June, 2021.
What’s he’s saying
Prof Mahmood Yakubu said that the commission is sorting the voters’ register to ensure they register only eligible voters. Speaking on the security situation of Nigeria, he said the commission is working with the relevant security agencies to develop a workable plan nationwide.
Current situation
INEC developed an online portal for PVC registration, recollection of lost PVC, transfer of information, for voters in preparation for the 2023 general election. This is to reduce the workload on physical registration centers in the country.
- Online registrants would nonetheless have to go to physical centers to complete biometrics capturing and for collection of PVC.
By the numbers
According to the commission’s database, 1,014,382 registrants completed the pre-registration process while 1,509,076 people registered physically at designated registration centers in the country. Also, 671,106 Nigerians submitted requests to update their records, transfer and replace their PVCs.
- INEC has printed 1,854,859 PVCs for collection with 1,390,519 PVCs for new registrants and 464,340 PVCs for transfer or replacement of cards.