The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday described as false, reports that it has made special provisions in the 2019 general elections for Internally Displaced Persons outside the country.
The statement by Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission’s secretary said “there be no Diaspora or out-of-country voting for any Nigerian, in accordance with extant provisions of the Nigerian constitution 1979 (as amended).”
Only due registered IDPs within Nigeria, the statement stressed, will be allowed to vote, adding that the framework and regulations for IDP voting was earlier presented and validated by stakeholders at a November 12, 2018 conference in Abuja.
It added that there was no reference whatsoever in the remarks made by the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, or during deliberations at the validation meeting about voting in the general elections by any special provisions for IDPs outside Nigeria.
INEC said however that while IDPs residing outside states where they registered can vote in the Presidential election, such persons cannot vote in other elections if they are located outside the state wherein they were registered.