INEC opens up on denying 7 million Nigerians opportunity to complete online pre-registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to claims that it denied over 7 million Nigerians access to PVC ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Below is an excerpt of the press release from the electoral umpire;

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE

ALLEGED SEVEN MILLION NIGERIANS DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE THEIR ONLINE PRE-REGISTRATION

The attention of the Commission has been drawn to media reports that some seven million Nigerians who applied for online pre-registration as voters during the last nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) were denied the opportunity to complete their registration and consequently the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). This claim is misleading.

To set the record straight, Nigerians may recall that on 28th June 2021, the Commission introduced the online pre-registration of voters. By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to commence the registration online and then book for an appointment at their convenience to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres. It was a novel idea leveraging on technology to ease the registration process. This was in addition to the walk-in option at physical centres, where Nigerians can commence and complete thier registration simultaneously without going through the online pre-registration procedure.

In the interest of transparency, the Commission provided weekly statistical updates on the exercise.

For the online pre-registration, a total 10,487,972 commenced the process. However, by the deadline of the exercise, 3,444,378 Nigerians completed their pre-registration physically at the designated centres in line with the Commission’s policy. Some 7,043,594 applicants did not complete the registration. Again, the Commission made the information public. This is what some people are now using to say that they were denied the opportunity when in reality they failed to either complete the online enrolment or appear physically at the designated centres to complete the process.

A breakdown of the 7,043,594 incomplete online pre-registrations is as follows:

1. 4,161,775 citizens attempted but either did not complete online pre-registration or abandoned it and went for the physical registration instead.

2. 2,881,819 registrants completed the online pre-registration but did not show up to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres before the deadline.

Therefore, it is clear that no Nigerians were deliberately denied the opportunity to complete their online pre-registration.

We appeal citizens to always adhere to timelines as against the endless agitation for eleventh hour extension of set deadlines.

Festus Okoye Esq
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee
Monday 19th September 2022