…INSISTS VOTERS’ REGISTRATION EXERCISE ENDS SUNDAY
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Commissioner on Voter Education and Publicity, Barr. Festus Okoye, on Saturday said the Commission is committed to organizing the best free, fair and credible election in the history of Nigeria.
The INEC Commissioner, also said that the ongoing Nationwide Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise ends on Sunday 31st, July, adding there would be no extension of date after tomorrow.
Okoye, made the declaration during a press conference at the Commission’s headquarters in Awka, the Anambra’ State, capital.
According to him, the Commission reinterated it’s earlier deadline on closing the ongoing Nationwide Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise on Sunday 31st, July date.
He stressed that they are acting under the confines of the electoral law.
Okoye explained that the continuous registration, started on June 28, 2021, with the launch of the online pre-registration of fresh registrants adding that it was the Commission’s desire and hope “to finish well” in the present circumstance.
“The CVR process will terminate tomorrow (Sunday) being the 31st day of July 2022.
“The Commission has to bring this process to a close because we have to carry out dedublication of all the registered voters to remove double and multiple registrants.
“The commission has to bring the CVR to a close because the law mandates a the commission to display the voters register in the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria and the 8, 809 registration areas for claims and objections
“Thereafter the Commission has to trim the registered cards of the fresh registrants, those who applied for transfer, those had damaged PVCs or defective PVCs and we have to sort all the permanent voters cards back to the various local governments for purposes of collection.
“It will be completely useless for people to register and not be in a position to collect their permanent voters cards.” He stated.
According to Okoye, the “honourable Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Professor Mahmood Yakubu has promised the nation that the permanent voters cards for those who registered between January and June will be ready by October this year.
“But those who are registering between the first day of July and 31st of July will be ready in November
“In July 2021, we launched the physical process of registration and this was carried out in our states and local government offices before we escalated into our registration processes at various registration areas on a rotational basis.
“For Anambra state, as at 26th of July 2022, a total of 276, 767 registrants have completed their registration but at the domestic level in Anambra.
“We have also the figures for all registrants, especially, in relation to the first quarter public registration process and as you can see so much progress has been made in that regard.” He added further.
Okoye, said the Commission deployed a total of 110 INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVED machines) and out of the number, 10 of the machines malfunctioned stating that six were repaired by in-house engineers in Anambra State.
According to him, they were deployed back to various centers to ease operations and the machines are in very good conditions.
“For the first quarter of this registration in Anambra’ and the quarter for the 26th day of July, for fresh registrants we recorded a total of 133, 009, those who carried out transfer stood at 3, 601, those who came for update of their own partners stood at 1, 423, those who came for replacement of PVCs stood at 11, 533 and the figure for status with disability stood at seven” He explained.
Okoye further explained that the registration process slowed down in parts of the South-East due to the problem of insecurity, stressing that the INEC office in Anambra devised means to control the surge that started rising almost a month ago.
He disçlosed that they isolated non biometric measures by training their staff to meet with the necessary demands of individuals.
He disçlosed that the IVED machines were taken to the markets, churches, NYSC camps and NUJ Secretariats as well as places where there were large concentration of people, so as to decongest highly populated areas.
According to Okoye, the Commission in the state created Complaints Desks and Log Platforms, which helped in responding to all the complaints for necessary resolution of all issues, adding that such interventions were carried out in 82 locations.
He comnended the involvement of traditional rulers, community leaders, town union executives and President Generals of town unions, the media and security agencies for the tremenous role they played through their interventions, strategies and others ideas towards the success of the exercise in the state and beyond.
