The Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, has revealed that more than 300 non-Nigerians have
been apprehended for attempting to register for Permanent Voters Card, PVC.
Speaking at an election
stakeholders’ summit in Abuja, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, also
disclosed that Nigerian Immigration Service has been deployed to arrest any
foreigner who tried to register.
He also revealed that the
commission was working on a draft policy on diaspora voting, even as he said
the commission was collaborating with security agencies and formulating
administrative procedures to check the incident of vote buying at polling
centres.
He also noted that 138 political
associations had applied for registration as political parties ahead of the
2109 general elections.
He said: “As at June 8, 2018, we
have received requests from 138 associations to register as political parties
to join the already 68 registered political parties. So, we may have more than
the 68 registered political parties before the 2019 general elections.”
He, however, expressed worries
that registering more political parties could have effect on the size of ballot
paper, the ballot box and also have implications on the speed of processing the
election outcome.
On when the ballot papers could
be ready, he said: “I am looking at November when we will have the sample of
the ballot paper and by that time we would also have known the number of
political parties contesting in each constituency.”
He said that currently, there
were 1,146 registration centres nationwide.
On when the voters’ cards would
be ready, he said: “We have been processing the cards and we will make sure
that citizens collect their PVCs before the 2019 general elections.
“Vote buying is a big problem and
we have been working with the EFCC and the police on this. We have to look at
the administration of voting process by ensuring increased secrecy at the
voting point.”
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