The commission also said it was partnering with security agencies and other critical stakeholders like Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to ensure that it conducts free, fair and credible elections.

The INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, gave this assurance on Friday in Lagos, at an interactive session with the line editors of media organizations.

According to him, “every PVC has a Voter Identification Number, VIN. INEC will retrieve the VINs and will quickly reprint the burnt/damaged cards to enable the affected voters to vote. Yes, they will be able to vote.

“Our responsibility is clearly cut out and that is to conduct the coming elections in all parts of the country. Security agencies provide security.

“Presently, we are working with security agencies to conduct the 2023 elections. We are determined and committed, and with the support of everybody, not only the security agencies, we will conduct credible elections in all parts of the country in 2023 and subsequently.

“For example, who believed that we we will have a credible election in Anambra in 2021? But we did because there was collaboration between INEC and the security agencies to make sure we had free and fair governorship poll there.”

The INEC chairman, however, assured that the commission was working to ensure that all registered voters participated in the elections.

“Those whose Permanent Voters’ Cards are burnt will vote if they apply for a new card. We will reprint those cards and the owners can vote. This also covers those who have lost their PVCs.”

Yakubu said the commission was really worried by electoral violence, targeted attacks on its facilities destruction of its offices, materials, pointing out that it was not a good omen for the 2023 elections.

While urging the National Assembly to ensure the proposed Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal came into being, Yakubu said it was important to ensure that electoral offenders were effectively punished.

He pleaded with journalists to assist in countering misinformation, disinformation and fake news.

Speaking on reservations by Nigerians on the possibility of using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in poor network areas as it depended on telecommunications network to work, Yakubu said the commission would be meeting with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday, on mobile network issues that might affect transmission of results.

He said that Nigerians had nothing to fear about the effectiveness of result transmission in the 2023 general elections using the BVAS.

The INEC chairman said they were liaising with NCC to make sure there would be seamless transmission of results in the 2023 elections.

“INEC has identified blind spots (where there is poor or no networks) and we are working to make sure there won’t be any problem.

“We are working with the NCC to make sure we transmit from blind spots. They are the network regulators and they will be very vital to that.

“We are making sure and working hard so that we transmit freely all around the country,” he said.

The Upper Chamber discussed this during plenary on Tuesday when it considered a motion on The prerogative of Prison Inmates to vote in general elections in Nigeria sponsored by Senator Abba Moro.

At the Plenary, they called on INEC to determine the status of the inmates that are constitutionally and legally qualified to be registered as eligible voters and should vote at elections.

They urged INEC and all relevant agencies to carry out a voracious voter’s enlightenment in prisons in Nigeria, to educate the inmates of their rights and necessity to exercise their franchise in general elections.

Also, according to the lawmakers, INEC register update its register of voters to take into account the prison population for the purpose of elections. INEC in collaboration with the Nigeria Correctional Service should also locate voting centres at custodial centres across the country to be used for voting.

The Senate further urged the INEC to allow duly registered and eligible prison-electorates to exercise their franchise during all general elections in Nigeria.

Out of  91 Lawmakers in the Senate, 58 voted against, while  208 out of 290 lawmakers in the House of Representatives also voted against it.

One of the bills is seeking the creation of one special seat for a woman at the Senate, House of Representatives and the Federal Capital Territory without prejudice to eligibility to contest.

The bill was rejected by senators who voted when it was considered.

It said: “The bill seeks to create a special seat for women in the Senate, House of Representatives and the State Houses of Assembly and the Federal Capital Territory reserved solely for women without prejudice to their eligibility to contest in the existing Senatorial seats in each State and FCT.”

The second bill also proposed 35% affirmative action for women in political party administration.

Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, who was present on the floor of the House of Representatives to observe the proceedings in an interview after the vote,  said the defeated bill was not the end of the agitation for women inclusion in Nigerian politics.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, described the vote as a show of shame.