2023: INEC Denies Operating Registration Centres In Niger Republic

By Editor

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Rotimi Oyekanmi has denied reports that the Commission is operating polling units in Niger Republic.

There are unconfirmed reports on the social media that INEC has been registering voters in some parts of the neighbouring country.

A Facebook user, Uche Nwabuike, had in a post, alleged that INEC was operating some illegal registration centres outside Nigeria.

Oyekanmi debunked the reports while speaking at a Twitter space organised by The ICIR on Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) registration.

He described the reports as baseless.

“By virtue of the provisions of the Constitution, all elections must take place in Nigeria. And to that extent, we cannot register voters or conduct elections in Nigeria.

“This is why Nigerians in the Diaspora cannot vote from abroad,” he said.

Oyekanmi disclosed that the number of Nigerians who had completed the voter registration process as of the end of June was 8.6 million, comprising 4.4 million women and 4.29 million men.

Meanwhile, Oyekanmi noted that the online PVC registration on INEC’s portal which lasted for 11 months was to ensure a speedy registration process but he observed that some Nigerians failed to take advantage of the process.

“During the first three months, we had days where two or three persons will turn up daily in the registration units but when it was close to the deadline, people started coming out calling for an extension,” he said.
https://www.icirnigeria.org/inec-denies-operating-registration-centres-in-niger-republic/