Janet Samuel, Abuja
As the off-cycle election in Edo and Ondo states approach the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC),has said that it has decided to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to give opportunities to eligible citizens who are not yet registered to do so.
The Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu announced this on Monday in Abuja at the second regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties.
Prof. Yakubu said that, those who are registered voters also have the opportunity to transfer their registration from other states of the federation to Edo and Ondo states or from one location to another within the two States.
“Let me reiterate that the CVR is only open to new registrants and those who seek to transfer their registration. Persons who are registered as voters should not attempt to register again as double or multiple registration is illegal.
“Lost or damaged voters’ cards will be replaced during the exercise but this does require fresh registration”.
“Taking into consideration the limited time to the Governorship elections, the Commission has decided to conduct the registration at Ward level and our State headquarters instead of our Local Government offices and a few designated centers as was case in the past. This means that there will be 192 Ward registration centres in Edo State and 203 centres in Ondo State, in addition to our State offices in Benin City and Akure, making a total of 397 walk-in registration centres in the two States”
According to the chairman, There will be no online pre-registration option in the two States because of time constraint, adding that, each centres will be managed by two officials drawn from their regular staff and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In the next few days, saying, the Commission will commence the training of at least 794 officials for the election.
The Commission appealed to political parties and other stakeholders to join in mobilising prospective registrants for the need to register
He urged the party leaders to continue to maintain law and order during the electioneering process, reminding them of the need to adhere strictly to the timeline for the upload of the list of polling and collation agents to the dedicated portal
In his remark, the National Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Dantalle, charged INEC, leaders of Political Parties, and other stakeholders to be firm and decisive in protecting the nation’s democracy and forestall political upheavals as currently experience in some parts of the country.
He also condemned politics of bitterness, do-or-die politics and divisive politics that have tendencies of undermining emerging democracy.
