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Bello hasn’t been cleared of alleged double registration, says INEC

By John Akubo (Lokoja) and Murtala Adewale (Kano)
02 March 2018   |   4:19 am
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has not been cleared of alleged double registration.

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello

• Holds secret meeting with KANSIEC over underage voting
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has not been cleared of alleged double registration.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Kogi State, Prof. James Apam, disclosed this yesterday.

He said the INEC would revisit the matter at the appropriate time, despite the fact that the governor’s voter’ card had been transfer from Abuja to Okene, in Kogi State.

The commissioner said the clarification became necessary following insinuations that INEC had discharged him of the scandal.

He said the electoral body has not rescinded its earlier statement on the issue, adding that the commission decided to treat the matter distinctly based on legal advise.

“The fact that there was an accusation that he registered twice does not take away his rights to demand the transfer of his PVC.

“When the application was brought to the INEC, it was subjected to legal advice and we decided to treat the matter plainly by granting his request, while the allegation remains hanging.”

He stressed that everything that the commission does on the matter would be in the public domain.

“Our record did not show that his name is in any where, especially as he applied normally for the transfer of his card from Abuja to Kogi State. We had no reason not to process the transfer and issue him his voters card,” he said.

On the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the state, Apam said the commission had registered 176, 866. This includes 90, 553 males and 86, 313 females. He said about 7,169 persons had applied for transfer, while 9, 400 applied for the replacement of damaged PVCs.

According to him, 57, 148 PVCs have so far been distributed, while 202, 289 others are yet to be collected.

Meanwhile, the investigative panel constituted by INEC on alleged underage voting in Kano council poll has commenced its work.

KANSIEC Chairman Prof. Garba Ibrahim Sheka, received the eight-member panel, headed by Abubakar Nahuche, and held secret meeting at the commission’s headquarters in Kano.

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