Of the 786,839 voters registered in the just concluded Continuous Voters Register, CVR, which took the number of registered voters in Lagos to 6.609 million, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Lagos is still expecting from the commission’s headquarters, 284,791 Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs.
Making the disclosure in a telephone chat with Vanguard, Mr. Femi Akinbiyi, the Public Affairs Officer, said in readiness for the 2019 general elections, the INEC in Lagos has started training members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, on use of the Smart Card Readers, SCRs.
Asked how the commission is preparing for the polls in Lagos, Mr Akinbiyi said: “We are engaged in the training of NYSC members using their community development, CD, days. We want them to have full grasp of the usage of the SCR machines.
“We will take those who perform well for proper training as ad-hoc staff for the election later.”
On number of PVCs collected so far, he said as of November 14, “only 84,818 people who were registered in the last CVR had collected their PVCs. Outstanding PVCs expected from Abuja are 284,791. New registrants are 786,839. Number of transferred PVCs is 96,932; replaced PVCs are 36,441 and now the total number of registered voters for Lagos is 6,609,115 subject to data consolidation and removal of double registrants.”
– Atiku group tasks Commission on credible polls –
Meanwhile, the AtikuObi group at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos by its Director General, Mr. Tunji Iyanda, appealed to the INEC strictly adhere to all electoral laws and play its constitutional role with diligence.
Mr. Iyanda said: “We call on the INEC National Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and all INEC operatives to ensure strict adherence to all electoral laws and play their constitutional role with diligence and shun all forms of corruption. Nigerians are tired of inconclusive and disputed election results. This call becomes necessary as there are doubts in results of recent elections even from international observers.”