Presidential aspirant, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has apologised for a misleading claim he made concerning the Permanent Voter Cards.
Tinubu had urged his supporters to go and take part in the ongoing “new registration” for voter’s card because “the PVC you have has expired”.
He said: “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, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urged Nigerians to disregard Tinubu’s claims that the Permanent Voters’ Cards PVCs have an expiry date.
According to the commission, Nigerians who already have the PVCs do not need to register again as the cards have not expired, adding that they remain valid for future elections.
Following INEC’s clarification, Tinubu has now apologized.
Tinubu’s media team issued a statement saying the APC chieftain mistakenly used the word “expire” instead of stating that the PVCs may have to be updated.
The statement read: “On Tuesday night in Abuja, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu granted audience to a delegation of women from Lagos and across the country attending the All Progressives Congress Women Conference. While charging the women to check the status of their voting cards and mobilise supporters to vote, he mistakenly used the word ‘expire’ instead of stating that the cards may have to be updated.
“Immediately upon being apprised of this, Asiwaju apologised for the incorrect statement and felt sorry for any confusion it may have caused. Asiwaju Tinubu also stressed that he appreciates the patriotic and necessary work of INEC and its personnel in assuring a free and fair electoral process for all Nigerians in all political parties.
“At the meeting convened at the behest of the women, Asiwaju emphasised the need for people to fully participate in elections so we strengthen our democracy. He urged them to continue to mobilise voters to update their PVCs and help thwart the prevailing voter apathy. Women must mobilise heavily to reverse the trend, he said.
“The gap between those who registered for elections and those who usually turned up to pick their PVCs was wide, adding that such constitutes a serious challenge, which may impede the growth of our democracy.
“Asiwaju Tinubu would like to reiterate this call to women to mobilise at the grassroots level so that elections reflect the sovereign will of all the people for a true democracy to be established. He enjoins them to review their voting details with INEC so that these details will be updated before the coming elections.”
