The Independent National Electoral Commission is considering making the National Identity Number a precondition for registering voters when the continuous voter registration exercise commences in a few weeks, The PUNCH has learnt.

A national commissioner at INEC disclosed this during an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.
He said the NIN would help tackle challenges of underage voting, alien voting and other challenges associated with registration.

The national commissioner, who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak, said a final decision would soon be reached.

The INEC official explained that the permanent voter card was only supposed to be in use for a maximum of 10 years, adding that most countries rely on a national database and not the Permanent Voter Card for voting.

He said, "The NIN is the ideal. When we want to begin the continuous voter registration, we may consider it because ordinarily, a national identity card is what should be used for voting. When the PVC was introduced, it was meant to be in use for 10 years and the assumption was that within those 10 years, the national identity card would be in use by a majority of Nigerians.

“I can tell you that the NIN will be one of the preconditions for registration when the CVR starts. We are trying to harmonise all databases.”

When contacted on the telephone, the Director, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC , Nick Dazang, said he could not say for sure if the NIN would be a precondition for registration, adding that meetings were still ongoing.

He said once a final decision had been made, INEC would officially inform Nigerians.

When asked if the NIN would be made compulsory for new registrants, Dazang said, “ When we reach the bridge, we will cross it. For now, we have not announced the date for the registration exercise to begin and the conditionality. When we are ready, the commission will announce the procedure for the continuous voter registration so the commission has not taken a decision in respect of that.”

The INEC director said the commission was also looking at how to ensure that the registration is done amid the raging COVID -19 pandemic.

INEC has not registered any Nigerian in over two years, a development which civil society groups have criticised.

The commission had announced in November that the registration exercise would begin in the first quarter of 2021.
Several government organisations have made the NIN a precondition for obtaining documents.

The Nigeria Immigration Service had in 2019 made the NIN a precondition for obtaining a passport while the National Examination Council and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said recently that only persons with their NINs would be eligible to sit for exams.

The Federal Road Safety Commission also said recently that persons applying for driving licences must possess their NINs.
The demand for the NINs by government agencies has forced thousands of Nigerians to gather at enrolment centres of the National Identity Management Commission in flagrant disregard of COVID -19 protocols.

https://punchng.com/inec-planning-to-make-nin-compulsory-for-voter-registration/

Las las, nobody go vote!
Does vote really count in this kwantry?

BVN, NIN....We keep going in circles

Liposure:
BVN, NIN....We keep going in circles

Do we even have a central Information System in this country?

LoveTalk:

Do we even have a central Information System in this country?

that is what NIN is about. NIN is unique to one citizen. I commend FG for this.

Nice, Non-NIN can't vote, can't own a passport. We need to know who is who.

This is a good idea.

The NIN can be linked with BVN, it can eradicate under aged voting to a lot of extent.

Especially in *clears throat* in our loudest regions.

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Then we're not voting Awon werey sombori

Good, if the Voters card isn't linked to NIN or NIN prerequisite for Voters card request. Then we are moving In circles.

Who voter registration help??

Mmmm

Jokers... Na here all of us go dey abi no be Naija again?
En'shiere

.

chamboy:
that is what NIN is about. NIN is unique to one citizen. I commend FG for this.

Bvn is unique to more than one person

If they can do this then there is no need to come out to vote again just create a platform and we will vote from d comfort of our home
Or better still mail in ballot...
I Don nearly forget say na 9ja I dey sha where inec an independent body is not independent

Agbebakun22:
Then we're not voting Awon werey sombori

Don't mind them...

LoveTalk:
Las las, nobody go vote!

Does vote really count in this kwantry?

When you guys complain about pdp and apc and then go and vote for pdp and apc because they are the strong parties, what do you expect.

Democracy is hard work. The bubu you see in Aso rock ran three.times before he got to the villa. Trump that is leaving the white house ran three times. Ditto Biden.

Stop being lazy and form a party and do something

Forget abt SIM block or voting whatever

National Identification number is very important and compulsory for you as a Citizen.

It's actually the strongest ID in the country right now... It's difficult to acquire due to the stress but it's very important

The term "compulsory" may have different meanings and implications in different countries.

Possession of a card may only become compulsory at a certain age which is why we should get it.

There may be a penalty for not carrying a card or similar official identification such as a passport. In some cases a person may be detained until identity is proven in foreign countries.

In other countries, police can ask for official identification without stating a reason. Random checks are rare, except in police states.

Let secure this ID...
It's our right

Good luck everyone
God bless you all
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

shizzle1:
Useless country

Idiotic leaders

Stupeed citizens

What is wrong with the decision ?
You are.just grumbling for the sake of grumbling.
And no, I don't back apc or pdp, but i commend them for sane decisions

Besides what is stopping you from registering for NIN?

Just observing from afar

this NIN is here to stay. all you loco vatos who havent gotten it now go and queue up in the sun and get it or you will be Xed out of the countries affairs

Ruga to NIN countered by AMOTEKUN

Nigerians will live together soon, unity will ideologically be fostered through NIN

With NIN, Soon I'd be able to contest Governorship position of Zamfara state as a Yoruba man. Ethnicity will be a thing of the past. What will soon matter is "ARE YOU A NIGERIAN"
As a Hausa man or any tribe, why should i stop giving birth when soon my children can occupy many places and do well JUST BECAUSE NIN say they are NIGERIANS.

Nigeria is fast becoming a Nation

Whatever!!!

If they like,they should also make it compulsory for paying of nepa bills,I won't still do shiit

I'd only go and do if I'm less busy...