INEC says Kaduna State came tops in the northern part of Nigeria in the on-going online voters registration with 486, 589 registrants.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs, Asma’u Maikudi, said on Wednesday in Kaduna that the state also placed third in the region in the number of those who completed their registration physically.

She was addressing a stakeholders meeting when she made the declarations.

“As of Monday, May 16, Kaduna State recorded the highest number of registrants online in the northern part of Nigeria and third largest in physical registration,’’ she said.

She said Kaduna State now had a total of 8,012 polling units, as against the initial 5,102 units, which could not cater to the increased number of registered voters.

Maikudi also told the meeting that the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) would replace the Smart Card Reader at the 2023 general elections to eliminate the possibility of voting by identity theft.

Identity theft is possible by a voter using another person’s Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to vote.

“This technology combines both facial and finger print identification of the voter and will drastically curb the issue of multiple voting. Kaduna State has received its consignment of 31,688 printed PVCs and we have started distribution already,” Maikudi also said.

The meeting, attended by representatives of political parties, NGOs, CSOs, security agencies, the media, religious and traditional heads, witnessed a questions and answers session. (The Nation)