Presidential hopeful, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has expressed regret for conveying misleading information about the Permanent Voter Cards.
Tinubu had encouraged his supporters to participate in the ongoing “new registration” for voter’s card, asserting that “the PVC you have has expired.”
He stated, “In case they do not announce to you on time, the PVC you have has expired. Take one family member, two family members, knock on all doors and make sure that the new registration… Because they may not announce to you on time. The PVC you have has expired. Yes!”
Reacting to this, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged Nigerians to dismiss Tinubu’s claims that the Permanent Voters’ Cards PVCs have an expiry date.
According to the commission, Nigerians who already possess the PVCs do not need to register again as the cards have not expired. They emphasized that the cards remain valid for future elections.
Following INEC’s clarification, Tinubu has issued an apology.
Tinubu’s media team released a statement, acknowledging that the APC leader mistakenly used the term “expire” instead of indicating that the PVCs may need to be updated.
The statement conveyed, “On Tuesday night in Abuja, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu met with a delegation of women from Lagos and across the country attending the All Progressives Congress Women Conference. While urging the women to check the status of their voting cards and mobilize supporters to vote, he inadvertently used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that the cards may have to be updated.”
“Upon being made aware of this, Asiwaju promptly apologized for the incorrect statement and expressed regret for any confusion it may have caused. Asiwaju Tinubu also emphasized his appreciation for the patriotic and essential work of INEC and its personnel in ensuring a free and fair electoral process for all Nigerians in all political parties.”
“During the meeting convened at the request of the women, Asiwaju stressed the importance of full participation in elections to strengthen our democracy. He urged them to continue to mobilize voters to update their PVCs and help counter the prevailing voter apathy. Women must mobilize heavily to reverse the trend,” he stated.
“The disparity between those who registered for elections and those who actually turned up to collect their PVCs was substantial, posing a significant challenge that may hinder the development of our democracy.
Asiwaju Tinubu reiterates his call to women to mobilize at the grassroots level so that elections reflect the sovereign will of all the people for a genuine democracy to be established. He urges them to review their voting details with INEC to ensure that these details are updated before the forthcoming elections.”