Politics
CVR: New Registrants To Get PVCs In Oct – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Nigerians who are currently registering in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise would get their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) in October 2022.
The nation’s electoral body had earlier said new PVC registrants would get their voter cards in January 2023, a month before the next general elections, a decision, which had generated several reactions, and was seen by some people as a ploy to disenfranchise Nigerians in the 2023 general elections which commences in February 2022.
Speaking during a #YouthVoteMustCount 2.0 concert jointly organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Yiaga Africa, and the European Union in Abuja on Saturday, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, assured new registrants that they would get their PVCs timely.
“Now, when will your PVCs be ready for collection, I want to assure you that the PVC will be ready for Collection Latest October this year. So all of you will have your PVCs,” he said.
Yakubu said INEC has registered over 14,000 Nigerians during the mega concert in Abuja.
The INEC chairman was, however, silent on the deadline for voter registration exercise but assured that the registration will continue.
According to him, “So, we will not stop registration until we are satisfied that those who wish to register are given the opportunity to do so.”
He further said that, two weeks ago, INEC deployed more machines to the states.
He said, “In this place, this is the Old Parade Ground. In the last five days, Monday to yesterday Friday, we were still registering today, but in the last five days, we have registered over 14,000 Nigerians in this place.
“Here in this place, we have 50 voter registration machines. Two weeks ago, we deployed more machines to the states. More machines left yesterday and more machines are leaving today all over the country. By Monday there will be more machines to register more Nigerians.”
He appealed to Nigerians to use their PVC primarily for election purposes and not for bank account opening.
His words: “Now, when will your PVCs be ready for collection, I want to assure you that the PVC will be ready for Collection Latest October this year. So all of you will have your PVCs.
“I want to thank you for making the PVC the most popular ID card in Nigeria today, not being the PVC. But, what do you do with your PVCs, don’t use the PVC for all other things. The PVC is for election not opening of bank accounts.
“So please use your PVCs for the election. So I want to ask you. I will also give you my own promise; for those of you who registered on what we call the INEC reserve viewing portal, you were seeing the results from the polling units on Election Day in Ekiti state. Ekiti was good, Osun is going to be better and 2023 will be the best. Your votes will count.”
Earlier in her speech, the head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS, )Samuela Isopi, charged Nigerian youths to take hold of their future.
While reaffirming Union’s partnership with the Nigerian Youths, she urged them to remain strong against opposition.
She said: “Do your work to remain the master of your future; they do not know how to do it. Go out, vote! Vote for your leaders, challenge them, hold them accountable and stand for your values and your opposition.
“This is the way to build democracy. This is the way you can get better governance, a better future, and a better Nigeria Nigeria. We the European Union, stand by you, we want to work together with you to make Nigerian democracy stronger now this is the result of a great partnership.”
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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