The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kano State, has warned against multiple registrations for Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof Risqua Shehu, disclosed this during a press conference on Thursday in Kano.
Shehu revealed that the commission observed that many of the people who show up for the registration already have their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs).
According to him, as at January 2022, about 40 percent of those who registered in Kano State were found to have registered before.
“This scenario is in all the states of the federation. Infact, there were states that recorded over 50 percent illegal registration.
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“We have been trying to educate people to understand that the PVCs issued by the commission do not expire, therefore, there is no need for anybody with his or her PVC to register again.
“Double registration is an offence as clearly enshrined in the Electoral Act 2022. The person involved is liable for prosecution and he will be fined for N100,000 or one year prison sentence or both,” he explained.
Shehu enjoined people to desist from multiple registrations in the ongoing CVR exercise across the state.
According to him, over 380,000 old PVCs that are yet to be collected.
The INEC official said that the commission had commenced distribution of 77,117 new PVCs of those who registered between June to December 2021 of the CVR.
The REC further disclosed that the commission had received 13,932 cards of all those who updated their information or requested for transfer.
Shehu who said that as at June 27, 2022, there were 396, 651 online applicants in Kano, also added that a total of 380,582 have completed their registration so far.
He said that the commission had initially announced June 30th , 2022 as date to stop the CVR but due to the recent upsurge across the states the exercise would continue and a new date for the closure would soon be announced by the commission.
The commissioner explained that the commission had created additional registration center at Indoor Sports hall of Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofar-Mata in the metropolis.
According to him, the location was chosen because of convenience and sitting capacity.
He added that the commission would deploy 30 IVED machines and personnel to commence registration of eligible Nigerians on Tuesday, July 5th.
The INEC official urged those that had yet to register to do so in order to avoid a last-minute rush.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge all those that are yet to collect their PVCs to go to the INEC offices in the LGAs where they registered to do so,” he appealed.
