No going back on continuous voter registration by April – INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu yesterday said that the electoral umpire has not changed its proposed April date for the commencement of its Continuous Voter Registration.

Yakubu said that arrangements were on to ensure the exercise took off smoothly as scheduled.

Yakubu who was addressing newsmen in Abuja, said that the exercise would be held throughout the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.

He said, “No date has been fixed yet because we are going to consult again with the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries to sort out two things.

“The venues and the numbers of machines we are going to use.

“We said April and I assure you that it will be done in April at local government level; but no specific date, this will be announced.

“And once we start, it is continuous; it would not end at our local governments.

“It will continue beyond the general elections.’’

He further advised Nigerians who are 18 years and above to take advantage of the opportunity and not disenfranchise themselves.

He also advised registered voters, who were yet to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, to visit the commission’s offices where they registered to obtain them.

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