NIN Is Not Mandatory For Voters Registration – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the National Identification Number (NIN) is not mandatory for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who made this known during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, said the registration would span for one year, ending in the third quarter of 2022.

Speaking further, Yakubu said the NIN was not recognised by the country’s electoral law, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act.

He said: “NIN is not going to be mandatory for the simple reason that we are operating on the basis of the law establishing INEC. Section 10 of the Electoral Act lists the means of identification to be presented by prospective registrants for the purpose of registration. These include birth certificate, national passport, National Identity Card or any other document that will prove the identity, age and nationality of the applicants.

“The NIN is only one of the means of identification provided for under Section 10 (2) of the Electoral Act. We can’t single that out and make it mandatory. All the other requirements are requirements of the law and we must apply the law equally.”

Meanwhile, the missing Alpha jet of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been found at a crash site in Abba-Jille in Konduga LGA of Borno State.

According to PMNews, the location of the crash is approx 30Kms outskirt from the city of Maiduguri.

However, The fate of the pilot and co-pilot remains unknown as there is no report on if they ejected safely or have been captured by insurgency fighters.

Recall that the Alpha-Jet had lost contact with radar at about 5 pm on Wednesday while on an interdiction mission in support of ground troops.

An intelligence source, who is privy to the ongoing investigation on the incident, had told PRNigeria that bad weather could be blamed for the missing jet.

In a statement on Wednesday, NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said the plane was “on routine mission in support of own troops at one of the Theatres of Operation in the Northern part of Nigeria”.