INEC registers 14.5m new voters ahead of 2019 election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has placed the total number of newly registered voters as 14,551,482 ahead of the 2019 general election.
The Chairman of the Commission, Mahmood Yakubu made the announcement during the Commission’s third quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at INEC’s Headquarters, Abuja.

“At the end of the exercise, a total of 14,551,482 new voters were registered. If this figure is added to the existing register of 69,720,350 voters, it means that the nation now has a voter population of 84,271,832,” Yakubu said.

“The Commission is also processing 769,917 requests for intra and inter-State transfers as well as 1,178,793 requests for replacement of lost, damaged or cards with misspelt names or incorrect personal details of voters as required by law,” he added.

The INEC Chairman further stated that the figure may reduce after the Commission filters the register to rid it of multiple registrations with the current figure representing about 21 per cent increase on the existing register.

Yakubu also disclosed that INEC has printed a total of 16,500,192 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for those registered in 2017 and delivered them to States for collection.

While the PVCs for 2.7 million voters registered in the first quarter of 2018 have also been printed and will be delivered to the States in the coming week.

He added that as part of its efforts aimed at ensuring that citizens got their PVCs with minimum inconveniences, INEC has collaborated with the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) to send bulk SMS to citizens for the collection of their PVCs.

The commission chairman also talked on the issue of vote buying during elections and other election malpractices, Yakubu assures total preparation of the body to curb such illicit acts as elections approach.

“We are working on a multi-faceted approach to the menace of vote-buying and other sundry electoral malpractices. We will introduce changes to the election-day administration of our polling units, in addition to the electronic tracking of our sensitive materials. We are discussing with the security agencies on a more vigorous enforcement of the law against voter-inducement. Furthermore, we are working with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and other stakeholders on voter education and sensitization,” he stated.

Yakubu, therefore, assures the people of Osun that will be having their governorship elections in September 22nd, that their votes only will count and the commision will not give room for any malpractices.