By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
The Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Aisha Dukku on Wednesday said the Chairman of the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has agreed to extend the duration of registration of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
Hon. Aisha Dukku who made the disclosure while updating House of Representatives Press Corp after plenary, noted that INEC Chairman said the extent of the duration will be determined in a statement that will soon be released after the Commission have met to consider other modalities.
it would be recalled that the spokesperson of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu (Abia State) who was the mover of the motion for the electoral body to extend the duration of registration of PVCs for 60 more days during plenary last week, noted that the INEC Chairman explained in details why it was not going to be easy to carry out an extension immediately despite the court order that the electoral body should hold on in its decision to end registration by 30th of this month.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi has stated that the Commission has not announced any extension of the CVR deadline.
lt would further recalled that the Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from ending Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) on June 30.
The electoral umpire had fixed June 30 as the deadline for the suspension of CVR across the country ahead of the 2023 general election.
To push for an extension, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 Nigerians had filed a lawsuit against INEC.
SERAP had said the deadline should be pushed forward in the same manner INEC extended the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties.
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