The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to extend the voter registration excercise and deploy additional machines and ad hoc staff for exercise.
It was learned that the the House of Representatives has asked the INEC to extend the voter registration by 60 days.
The House of Representatives’
Chairman, House Committee on INEC,
Aisha Duku, made this known while addressing the House on the outcome of its meeting with INEC, during plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Network gathered that the House of Reps had on June 15 directed that the committee meet with the electoral body following a motion by Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia).
During his presentation, Duku said the electoral umpire agreed on all its resolutions, including the extension of voters registration.
According to Duku, INEC told the committee that the registration days would now include weekends with additional hands to ensure a smooth exercise.
She said all the prayers contained in the motions were approved and agreed.
Kalu had in April, stated that INEC declared that about 42 percent of the voter registrations recorded since the commencement of CVR on 28 June 2021, were invalid with about 20 million unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
He further explained that a large number of unregistered eligible voters who are willing to be registered showed by the crowd at various registration centres, had resulted in congestion.
According to Kalu, if nothing was done to improve the shortage of voter registration equipment and extend the deadline for voters registration, millions of Nigerians would be disenfranchised.
He stated that such would dent the integrity of the 2023 general elections.
Following the resolution, the house, thereafter, mandated the Committee on Electoral Matters to engage INEC, to examine and proffer solutions to the shortage of registration machines and manpower.
The House, equally tasked INEC to mobilise an additional 30 voters registration machines in each local government area, and train and deploy ad- hoc staff to improve the shortage of manpower at registration centres.
INEC had earlier said that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) would end on June 30.
