The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, disowned a website urging Nigerians to enroll for voter cards despite the closure of the exercise. The commission officially ended the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration on 31 July. The deadline, initially set for 30 June, was extended to 31 July following public outcry. The INEC, in a statement by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye, on Monday, cautioned Nigerians against a fake website claiming that the federal government has approved individual registrations of PVC online.
“The commission states unequivocally that the site is not linked to the commission and the link/portal is spurious and from a dubious source,” Mr Okoye said.
He did not disclose the name, the link or other details of the website in question, but reiterated the commission’s exclusive power to register voters and conduct national elections in Nigeria. The INEC added that it has ended the exercise and Nigerians should therefore embrace the new reality.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission is the only body constitutionally and legally mandated to conduct the registration of persons qualified to vote in any election in Nigeria and to update and revise the register when the need arises.
“The commission is solely responsible for organising, undertaking, and supervising national elections in the country and does not share this responsibility with anybody or organisation.
“Members of the public are strongly advised not to succumb to the antics of online scammers and should avoid such fake sites.
“The commission has concluded the Continuous Voter Registration exercise nationwide and does not need to open an additional site or portal for the purposes of registration of voters,” Mr Okoye said.
Meanwhile, in its latest CVR update released on Monday, barely 24 hours after the official closure of the exercise, the INEC pegged the total number of fresh registrants at 10,487,972. With over 3.44 million online and 8.85 million physical registrants, the commission said a total of 12,298,944 persons completed the CVR registration before the closure of the exercise which started in June 2021.
