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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that persons who did double registration for Permanent Voters Card will not be prevented from voting in the forthcoming general elections in the country.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye made this known to newsmen on Sunday.
According to Okoye, those who are involved in double registration will not get a new pvc, saying that their cards were not printed.
However, he assured that they will work with the first one that was initially assigned to them, adding that the commission decided to retain their previous valid registration in order not to completely prevent them from casting their votes on election days.
He said “Only registrants that met the constitutional and legal requirements for registration will collect their Permanent Voter Cards. Those that engaged in double and multiple registrations are not entitled to new Permanent voter Cards and the commission did not print their cards.
“The commission decided to retain their previous valid registration in order not to completely disenfranchise them and such individuals can vote with their previous cards.”
Okoye, however, described double or multiple registration and possession of more than one PVC as an electoral offence.
He added “Individuals that engage in double and multiple registrations and who go to the collection centres to cause confusion, insult, and assault some of our staff risk arrest and prosecution.
“It is an electoral offence to engage in double or multiple registrations and or possess two or more PVCs.
“The commission has printed the Permanent Voter Cards of all those that applied for a transfer. We have also printed and delivered the cards of those who applied for replacement because of loss, damage or defacement.
“All those that applied for transfer must collect their cards in the new local government offices of the commission where they intend to vote and not in the local government where they were transferred unless it is the same.”
The 2023 general elections will kick start on the 25th of February with the Presidential and National Assembly elections while the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections hold on the 25th of March 2023.