In Anambra, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uncovered 62,698 incidents of double voter registration.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu revealed this at an emergency meeting with political parties in Abuja on Friday.
The meeting, according to Yakubu, was called to inform the parties about the commission’s preparations for the Anambra governorship election as well as to discuss recent events in the state.
He claimed that during the clean-up of registration data in Anambra following the first quarter of the CVR process, 62,698 people who were already registered voters registered again.
“In Anambra State, a total of 138,802 citizens completed the registration, including applications for transfer and requests for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs as required by law. However, in the process of cleaning up the registration data, we discovered that many previously registered persons re-registered afresh,” he said.
“As a testimony to the effectiveness of our new system for checking double and multiple registrations, the commission found out that some 62,698 persons who are already registered voters in Anambra state went ahead to register again. These double or multiple registrations are invalid by law. We have archived these registrations and will not print new PVCs for them.
“Their old PVCs remain valid and they can use them to vote at the Polling Units where they registered and probably voted in previously elections. The same cleaning up exercise is going on nationwide. As soon as it is over, the commission will provide further details to Nigerians on the situation in other States of the Federation and action to be taken on the matter. Let me remind all Nigerians that the law prohibits double registration.
“Consequently, the number of valid registrants in Anambra state at the end of the first quarter of the CVR exercise on 5th September 2021 is 77,475. This figure has been added to the existing register of 2,447,996 eligible voters used for the 2019 General Election. Accordingly, the number of registered voters in Anambra State now stands at 2,525,471.”
Security around INEC facilities in the state has been beefed up, according to the chairman, in preparation for the impending election, and he urged political parties not to exacerbate insecurity with their words and deeds.
“This could compound the security situation and make the work of the Commission, political parties and security agencies even more difficult. It may also lead to voter apathy,” he said.
